Hunter
by Lectictinium
Summary: *Fantasy AU*  In a realm where vampires are hunted mercilessly by the Vatican, it seems that the task of killing one such vampire is going to be harder than Ludwig first thought, especially when Feliciano turns out to be more than what meets the eye.
1. Encounter

Ludwig turned a corner, sword in hand to see a young man feasting on a woman's blood. The woman was lying in his arms, unconscious. She seemed rich, rich enough to afford treatment for any injury she sustained and the vampire was careful not to make a noise, crouching low in the shadows as not draw attention as he drank. Releasing her neck, he put a hand into his jacket pocket and finding nothing looked around worriedly and caught sight of Ludwig. His eyes widened and he dropped the woman to the ground.

"V-Vatican?" He shuddered, hands raised and trembling with fear, "Please! I have done nothing! Ah!" He winced, stepping back as Ludwig strode forward.

"My name is Feliciano Vargas, so please!"

Ludwig stopped, instantly wary. The vampire had spoken the truth, he could feel it. But a vampire that was so willing to give his name to a Hunter, even though he may easily be able outrun him? With his name, combined with a prayer taught by the Vatican, any soldier of the Church could control a vampire in any way they chose. It was an old and powerful magic, though the Church wouldn't have wished to call it that. So, this creature was willing to throw his life out to him?

Feliciano was on the ground now, picking up a vial. It was a small glass vial, with a curving shape and spiralled design, the stopper was in the shape of a diamond. Ludwig recognised it instantly. It contained Holy Water: stolen from the Church.

"Hey!"

Feliciano flinched but didn't let go of the vial. Instead he took out the stopper and soaked a small amount onto the edge of his jacket and pressed it against the bite marks on the woman's neck. That act stopped one from becoming a vampire, supposedly by cleansing the blood of the vampire's impurities when they took blood. It was usually only effective within the first several hours of being bitten – Ludwig had heard of cases where after 24 hours if had been too late to act, but never of a vampire willingly preventing a transformation. This day was becoming stranger by the minute.

Nevertheless, he ran towards the vampire, grabbed Feliciano's shoulders and pinned him against the wall of the alley, "How old are you, vampire?"

"Ah!" In fear, Feliciano screwed his eyes shut and instinctively threw his arms out, throwing Ludwig to the ground. He landed several feet away and cracked his head on the ground. The first time in years he let his thoughts get clouded by emotion and he's on the ground at the mercy of this creature. The world was spinning oddly. The vampire opened his eyes, a few stray tears collecting in the corners.

"Ah~! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt y– sir? Ah, you're bleeding!" Feliciano panicked and through the dark haze that was now descending Ludwig could feel a hand clamped to the back of his head. The vampire was trying to stem the flow of blood. "Hold on." He heard something rip and concentrated, his vision clearing slightly and could see Feliciano frown at a strip of cloth on his hands. "Too small…"

He ripped a long strip from Ludwig's clothes using his teeth, which were still sharp from drinking blood, and wrapped it tightly around Ludwig's head, tying it quickly. "I had to use your shirt, I apologise…" He looked at the Hunter in confusion.

The vampire stuttered, still shaking violently, "Wait here, I'll go get some help from the Vatican!"

He was gone before Ludwig could say anything. If he had truly gone to a nearby Church he would be killed, no doubt. Feliciano was probably fleeing and finding somewhere to hide.

_But…_ Ludwig thought as he lay still, succumbing to the black_, he didn't seem like the vampire I was ordered to search for, though he did seem to match the description._ The vampire was said to have slaughtered many in towns South and now East of here and throughout Italia. Dangerous. Feliciano Vargas was thin, as if he had not been feeding well, and had been terrified of Ludwig at first sight. Vampires had extraordinary strength but he had not used it until pinned against the wall with nowhere else to go.

_It would have been all too easy for him to outrun and possibly kill me during my confusion._ He had not the attitude or appearance of a killer. In fact, he didn't seem like the typical vampire. Yes, Feliciano was different indeed...

...

Ludwig awoke to find himself, in fact, in a nearby Church laying down on one of the pews. Fresh bandages of linen had been wrapped around his forehead and Feliciano was no where to be seen. Around him were several concerned priests and two fellow Vatican Hunters, recognisable by their overcoats: a Spaniard Ludwig was familiar with and a blonde he didn't recognise.

"What am I d…?" Ludwig started and sat up. A hand instinctively went up to his neck but found no puncture wounds.

"You were lucky, it seems like he wasn't hungry for you," the Spaniard spoke, offering his hand to Ludwig who accepted it and was pulled to his feet. He was in fact an old friend of Ludwig's older brother.

"Antonio, why are you here?" Ludwig looked at the man in mild confusion. When they had last spoke, he had been lively and energetic, with a constant smile on his face, it was almost silly. His dark, wavy hair was now shoulder length and tied using a red ribbon, and he looked tired.

"I was tracking a vampire in the Hispanic Kingdom and it seemed as though it fled here and attacked a village," He frowned and Ludwig only just noticed his gaze flicker briefly to a small room, behind Ludwig.

"It seems I've been ordered to look for the same one. Ah, where is he?"

"Hm?"

"The vampire who helped me. I assume a boy of around 20 ran in here earlier, unless someone else happened to find and carry me here?" Ludwig saw Antonio and the other glance at each other. "Surely… you didn't kill him?"

"He was not ours to kill. 'E is over there," The stranger spoke with a thick French accent, nodding towards the door over Ludwig's shoulder.

"Ah, Ludwig, this is Francis. He's travelled from France. I don't suppose you know, but it seems the vampire was there too. He's a lot more trouble than anticipated…"

Ludwig and Francis nodded politely to each other in greeting.

"Can I see him?"

"Of course," Antonio led Ludwig to the room.

Stepping inside Ludwig saw Feliciano sitting quietly on a chair against the wall, shivering. His chest was bare and Ludwig could see the faintest scars of knife wounds trailing over his chest and presumably across his back, though he knew that they were fresh from the bruises that had not healed. A vampire could heal itself very quickly, especially since he had fed so recently. Ludwig couldn't have been unconscious for more than an hour. It seemed that though they hadn't killed Feliciano, his fellow Hunters had seen fit to try and interrogate him using steel. The vampire's hands and legs were chained and Ludwig could see silver laced into the cold steel shackles, which would make it painful for him even to struggle against his bonds. Using silver had the same effect of purifying steel using Holy Water and prayer; it was simply easier and had a permanent effect within the object. Silver was also more potent than steel, causing acute pain and was ultimately toxic to vampires, which is what made it all the more precious to the Vatican.

"Vampire, how old are you?"

"Twenty," Feliciano replied, not looking up. His voice was dry and slightly fearful.

Too young than the one he was searching for, almost definitely, and he really didn't seem like the vampire Ludwig was searching for. That didn't mean he bared no sin, though.

"…Did they hurt you?" Ludwig found himself addressing him in a softer tone. Feliciano flinched and looked up, confusion leaving his eyes as he saw Ludwig.

"You're okay then… thank goodness…" His shoulders slumped in relief. "I didn't know what happened–"

"– you have no right to talk to him like that, vampire!"

"Antonio…"

"He attacked you and there is evidence that he attacked someone else, too!" Antonio withdrew a dagger from the inside of his overcoat, a silver cross shining in the blade and pointed it at Feliciano, who flinched again and closed his eyes, gritting his teeth expectantly.

"He saved my life, Antonio. He could have run, or drained my body, but I suppose instead he came here and told you, or whoever was there at the time about what had happened, am I correct? What's more, he wasn't purposefully trying to attack me. What would have happened if I had been left outside unconscious? Vampires aren't the only enemies we have here…" Ludwig's eyes narrowed as Antonio offered a weak reply and nodded, "He treated the woman he bit with Holy Water, so I doubt you would need to search for her."

"Am I expected to believe that?" Antonio raised an eyebrow hesitantly, as if he wanted not to believe him.

"Was there a vial on him?"

Antonio shook his head.

"Check the alley then, please," Ludwig bowed his head quietly, willing them to do as he asked. Strange, it was his sacred duty to hunt down and kill vampires, yet here he was trying to save one. He wasn't even sure why.

Francis bowed his head and left. Minutes passed in agitated silence, the vampire quieter than either of the Hunters before Francis returned with an empty glass vial, identical to the ones used in Churches and by Vampire Hunters for just these situations. He handed it to Antonio, "I checked it, it did contain Holy Water."

"Well… we'll have to check, but if the victim has been treated then…" Antonio sighed, almost sadly, "Ludwig, we still can't let that creature go."

"I owe him my life, just let him walk free." Ludwig persisted, still unsure of why he was doing so. Why did the life of this vampire matter amongst all the others that hadn't? Because he had done no wrong? Or was it something… else? Something was present that Ludwig couldn't identify, he was sure of it. Something specific to this vampire.

"I still have a duty to get rid of it, same as you," Antonio gulped as he walked over to Feliciano, holding the blade against his throat so a thin trickle of blood started pouring down his neck. He looked down in shock as the vampire started shaking more violently, shackles digging into his wrists. He had never seen a vampire terrified before. They were meant to fight back, hiss and struggle with hateful eyes, not cower in the face of death. The little Italian offered no resistance as he pushed the knife deeper into his skin. He fought the slumbering reflex to gulp, yet could not stop his hands and breaths shaking.

"I'm so pathetic…" the whisper was barely audible even in the soundless room.

Ludwig could not stand to see the vampire shaking in fear like that, it was so human, so he called out, searching for an excuse to let him go free, "Stop that!"

Antonio glared at him coldly, and he could feel Francis' eyes on his back also. If this didn't work…

"He… he told me his name, willingly." Ludwig knew that as he spoke it would have been a bad idea, but it was the only one he had.

"How can you prove it?"

"If he truly has," Francis spoke up, "then order him to kill himself." Ludwig turned around in shock to look at the Frenchman. "A vampire would not kill itself just like that, non?"

"Then what would be the point? It achieves nothing."

"No, it achieves his innocence, and one less dangerous creature in the world. It is only the Lord's command." Ludwig could hear the hints of sarcasm in Francis' voice as he spoke. True, it was his mission on this Earth to kill unholy creatures such as vampires, but Ludwig felt that any killing should be justified, and not simply by the Lord's will. Existence is not a sin.

"If I can prove to you that what I say is true, and that he is innocent, will you let him go free? I shall speak to the Vatican council about the matter," Ludwig licked his lips hesitantly.

"Certainly," Francis folded his arms and waited, a look of superiority and mild amusement on his face. Antonio moved the knife away from the vampire, who inhaled instantly, and walked towards the door to stand next to Francis, also expectant.

Ludwig thought for a moment. The order would have to be something powerful, something that would affect the vampire in a way that was not normal. Certainly what Francis said was true, so Ludwig needed something just as serious, but he did not wish to kill the boy. He stepped up to the creature and removed something from around his neck: a metal cross that he always wore.

"Do you know what this is?" He spoke coldly, and Feliciano nodded his head slowly. He could tell the vampire was desperately trying to block out all the reason in his mind that was telling him what Ludwig was about to do. Ludwig held it out to one side and looked back at the others. Antonio nodded to show he knew what it was also.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and the name by which you are bound, Feliciano Vargas–" It was a simple enough prayer, spoken in Latin, yet it was one of the most important powers a vampire hunter possessed.

Feliciano shivered, feeling something cold wash over him, as if some sort of ghost or otherworldly presence had appeared beside him. His thoughts began to blur and found he could not connect them together. His mind was scattered, and in fact it and his body no longer felt like his own. A puppet, that was the only way he could think to describe himself: the mind and soul was there but ultimately he was not in control of his body. The moment Ludwig had spoken his name the strings had appeared and claimed his body.

Ludwig knelt down to look at Feliciano from the side. The boy's eyes looked glazed over and he had stopped shivering. He looked round to meet Ludwig's gaze.

"– no matter what, you are not to scream, not to make a sound." Feliciano nodded mindlessly, eyes clearing as he finally understood. Ludwig paused before sliding his hand down over the Italian's back, which was indeed scarred and bruised as he'd guessed. He placed a hand on the vampire's shoulder, holding him still as he positioned the cross on his back over his shoulder blade.

Feliciano shuddered as the metal hovered just above his skin, as if Ludwig was hesitating, but he was overcome by pain as it touched him. The vampire arched his back instantly, eyes wide and mouth open, but the chains around him prevented any further movement. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and wrapped his arms around his chest. Ludwig was certain he could hear the fangs grating against each other as the vampire fought harder and harder to block out the pain, his nails were digging into his sides and blood trickled from the wounds. His chest was beginning to heave now, and he was biting his lip harder and harder, his fangs growing under the pressure and fear. The vampire should have been screaming by now. His vocal cords strained but not a even whimper escaped the vampire's lips.

Antonio and Francis watched as the German pressed the silver cross harder into the vampire's back, causing the creature to start. Ludwig himself flinched as Feliciano slumped forward as if unconscious, tears pouring down his face. Feliciano's world was on fire, the pain was too much, he'd never felt anything like it, he was sure that he'd died, the flames he felt were Hell's gates opening up to him, but no sooner than he'd slipped into the darkness he was brought back again. The vampire snapped back up, mouth gaping as if he were screaming, his entire body tensed and hands and fingers curled like some animal. He was jerking as if movement would dislodge the metal from him, let it fall to the ground where it could not harm him, yet his efforts made no difference and he continued to cry and shout silently. The boy wasn't even breathing. Ludwig had never seen something so disturbing, so inhuman.

He took the cross away, closing it in his fist and stepped away from Feliciano, who swayed to one side, full of obvious relief. His jaw was working silently, whimpers that he could not form leaving his mouth and his body trembled. His gasps shuddered as he inhaled repeatedly, gulping in between breaths, swallowing nothing but air, yet not even that seemed to help him. Feliciano's world was numb, his body felt hollow and empty and he had no voice, yet he had to scream, he _had_ to. If nothing else, he needed to rid himself of the pain, of the utter agony lighting his veins. Nothing else mattered.

He could feel the gouges he'd inflicted upon his own pale body, seeping red across his skin like tiny rivers and onto the floor. Rings of red, raw skin marked his wrists and ankles where his restraints had burned him, not nearly as badly as the silver cross. Through the haze of the pain he could hear Ludwig speaking, voice resonating with anger at the two other Hunters.

"Are you satisfied? He is mine, and you will let him go free."

Antonio thought of nothing to say, a chill ran down his spine at the German's powerful words.

"We…" Francis gulped, his hands starting to feel clammy. Both would never admit it, but seeing the vampire writhing like that sickened them. He had the form of a human, had spoken like a human, so to them it was like they had burned someone alive. He had no doubt that Ludwig had control over the vampire after that torture. After all, he had known for a fact the vampire had screamed when exposed to their silver blades.

"You don't seem to understand me," Ludwig glared at the two pointing behind him at the vampire, "He will stay with me, and shall do no harm. And you shall leave him untouched from now on. Do you hear me?" His voice was level and quiet, somehow more terrifying than if he were to shout.

"Apologise to him."

Antonio blinked and looked away, Francis' eyes widened as Ludwig stepped back beside the vampire, crouching down beside him and releasing his wrists.

"Ahh… l-lo siento…" It was nothing more than a whisper, yet Feliciano and Ludwig could pick out the Spaniard's voice.

Francis said nothing but bowed his head, as if somewhat ashamed.

"Feliciano…" The man's breath tingled against the vampire's skin as he opened his mouth, finding words and voice returning to him, even through the lingering tongues of flame wrapped around his dry throat. He found himself silently begging God, begging the Devil to ease the pain, to let it all be gone. No relief came to him, his upper back felt scorched and every movement hurt him. Heat radiated from that single point on his left shoulder, he could feel that shape of the cross in this skin and his flesh burned, the only thing lacking was the smell. He licked his lips, finding no moisture except his own blood: he'd bitten his own tongue.

"Kill me…" Feliciano spoke, raising his head to look at the two Hunters in front of him. Seeing something glint in the corner of his eye, he grabbed the dagger from inside of Ludwig's overcoat and stood up, kicking his shackles away. He held the dagger out in his hand, gripping the sharpened blade of the weapon which began to feel slippery and warm.

"Please. Kill me…" His voice was weak, and the dagger slipped out from between his bloodied fingers and palm as Ludwig passed a hand in front of his face.

"Sleep."

Feliciano felt strong arms wrap around him as his knees gave way and found the darkness embracing him. He heard the beating of a strong heart die down as he fell gratefully into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>PREQUEL TO AMEN: http :  / www . fanfiction . net /s/ 7499015 /1/ Amen ~ do not read Amen unless you want spoilers for how this ends... :3

LALALA. First of many chapters. And it is rated M for a reason... you'll just have to put up with build up and random plot before you get anything *evil smirk*

So jaaaaa. Vampire AU is fun to write. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have writing it so far! :D

Also on my dA: http : / / lectictinium . deviantart . com /art/ Hunter -Ger Ita- 273817188


	2. Audience with the Master

_I'm so sorry for the wait! This is only half the chapter, and the title is bad because I couldn't think of a good one. It is 00:08 right now okay x_D

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><p>Ludwig lay Feliciano down on his side onto a double bed, taking care not to touch his injuries. He looked at the sleeping form; the vampire's face was not completely relaxed: the brow was furrowed as if wincing in pain. It was possible he still felt some. It had surprised him that the vampire would go as far as to ask, no, beg for death. Had the pain been so great that he willing to let go of his life that he was so desperately trying to protect just before? He couldn't imagine it.<p>

Ludwig sighed and shifted some hair out of Feliciano's face and tucked it behind his ear. The vampire shuddered as he did so, and Ludwig took his hands away.

He'd decided to take the vampire to an inn outside the Vatican. For some reason, he felt it was safer, as if the probability of the vampire being attacked by the Vatican far exceeded the chances of Feliciano waking and attacking an ordinary citizen for their blood.

The room was quite large, and a large window was open on one side. Ludwig turned and was met by his reflection in a full-length mirror attached to the wall.

He was a man of 22 years, though his tired expression and scars gained through his work would give the impression of someone older. His sky-blue eyes had a permanent kind of hollow look, solemn and unwilling to reveal any emotion, though determination lingered there where nothing else showed. His mouth was small, and set in a thin line on his face, not a scowl as such but serious and almost grim. He was often admired for having a handsome face, as if chiselled from stone, but like stone it was said he held no expression, and no longer smiled. Of course, that had been a recent development. During his early work in the Vatican Ludwig had often been seen sighing in mock despair whilst his eyes would shine happily…

He was a tidy and precise man, his hair was brushed back out of his face and his overcoat was quite clean, as were his heavy boots. Around his neck was the thin black string on which hung a silver cross. Originally, it had been crafted of iron, plated with steel, but upon becoming a Hunter had been endowed with a layer of the precious metal.

He frowned at the memory.

He looked back at the sleeping vampire, wondering whether or not to bind him, but considering the vampire's personality, or what he could guess of it, he wasn't one for causing any serious trouble. He doubted he would have the strength to at the moment; he'd sleep for some time.

He stepped out of the room and locked the door, making his way down the narrow wooden stairway to the entrance of the inn, where he leant over the wooden bar. Unlike other inns around the city, this was merely for resting during the night when planning to travel, though it was odd to find ones in the heart of Rome. The reason for this was because it lay close to the Vatican City, and there was a strong possibility of food being poisoned.

"Hello?"

He was answered by a middle-aged woman, supposedly the inn's owner or their wife, who took care of providing only small beverages, which in itself was risky, though not full meals. She had a robust build with a stern face, yet spoke warmly to all her guests.

"What can I do for you sir?" She had seen the man arrive, looking angry and somewhat lost at the same time, carrying a young man in his arms. She was not one to pry, yet she could tell instantly that there was some kind of problem and was more than willing to let the two stay for a few days.

"Um, if the boy I arrived with wakes and comes down here, could you please tell him where he is and ask him to stay here until I return? I need to take care of some business for a few hours."

"Certainly. You Vatican workers always seem to be busy. Take care," She smiled.

Ludwig nodded his head and left as she returned to cleaning a glass. The symbol of the Vatican was well-known, so it was unsurprising she had known who he was at first glance. He was silently grateful that she had not inquired anything about him or Feliciano.

Ludwig stepped out into the street and headed for the Vatican City, a jumble of grand buildings that lay heavily guarded in the centre of Rome, surrounded by a high wall. It was so busy and densely populated by Hunters and other workers alike that it was indeed suitable enough to be referred to as a 'city'. Talk of war was slithering amongst the people, and the Vatican Council were more than ready to declare the city separate from Italia if it became necessary. They could not involve themselves in human wars when there were greater evils afoot.

It took little more than an hour to arrive on foot, taking a longer route as a precaution against someone tracing him back to the inn, compared to his journey to the inn taking under half an hour. Still, Ludwig wasn't prepared to take any chances. Plus, he felt it best to stay away from the vampire as long as possible as an uncomfortable feeling of guilt was swelling inside of him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he showed his right palm to the Vatican guard, a tall man with piercing blue eyes and dark hair that fell in spiked tips to his shoulders. He did not know this man's name, though he had a feeling that he should for some reason. Walking past him was like a strange sense of déjà vu… a reminder. Though he was certain the first time he had seen him was upon training to be a Hunter. The guard did not talk much, but he always nodded at him and sometimes smiled, if only briefly, during the time he stayed at the Vatican. His eyes were distant and shone with cold, icy power, but at the same time they seemed lonely. Ludwig didn't know why, though he felt that he was somehow the cause of his loneliness. He narrowed his eyes as linen was pulled away but nodded his head to let Ludwig pass. As the German headed to the central Vatican palace the guard looked briefly down at his own left hand, puzzled at the Hunter.

He sighed, his breath spreading out in front of him in a faint mist and he frowned, disliking the cold settling around him.

Ludwig strode past the next set of guards without a moment's hesitation, briefly sighing at the change in temperature as the warmth of the Vatican Palace welcomed him from the cold outside. He sometimes wondered how the guards lasted all night in the cold, considering this was quite warm for some nights. He supposed the clear sky is what was making a difference.

He knew it would be pointless to simply demand an audience with the council, so after a brief conflict with the Sacred Guard, so called because she was blessed by the High Council and was solely responsible for their safety and entrance into the Vatican palace, a woman who was usually quiet and withdrawn, with raven-black hair that fell in graceful curls at the sides of her face and dark blue eyes, she finally conceded in consulting the council herself in Ludwig's place. If she were successful, he would be able to speak to them.

Ludwig stood quietly by her post in the entrance, waiting for the return of her footsteps down the stairway. The Vatican Palace was a grand building, as elaborate outside with its carvings and statues as it was inside. The hallways alone was richly furnished, though it was impossible not to see that this sacred building was heavily guarded by man and traps alike. Blades carefully concealed within the walls, sharp-edged lace that could be stretched across the corridor so thin that the only way it could be seen was through reflection of the light, he was fully aware of these. Though Ludwig had spent quite some time here in the last few years of his life, he wished he hadn't, even he could not pick out all the fallbacks that were meant to prevent intruders. He was certain if things went badly, the Vatican would not hesitate in using them against him.

What he wanted to request was practically heresy after all.

She returned to break Ludwig's unease after a few minutes clearing her throat quietly to announce herself – he had not heard her approach.

"They will see you now in the Main Chamber."

"Ah, thank you…" Ludwig bowed his head in gratitude, annoyed that he could not remember her name. He had seen her enough around the Palace, so it seemed rude not to.

"It's Melissa, Ludwig," She smiled kindly, able to see through him easily, "and I would be careful if I were you, do not test their patience. I do not think they expected to see you back here so soon after being sent on a mission…"

"I have something I wish to ask of them…"

"Yes. I hope it goes well for you," she resumed her post by the doorway, taking hold of a spear, the blade of course made of silver and steel, that she had left leaning against the wall. It was her duty to be the first, and last, line of defence. Last being in that of all the attacks on the Vatican, of which there had been many even in the years she had stood guard, none should ever pass her.

Her name meant 'worker' in her native tongue, yet she was as much a warrior as a worker, Ludwig thought, remembering all the times he had seen her when not at her post. She was always active, never seemed to rest yet was almost restless no matter what she was doing.

With a last murmur of thanks he proceeded to the staircase that lay on the right hand side of the end of the corridor, spiralling up to the first floor, and then to the Main Chambers. There were several, each homed to different councils within the Vatican, though it was the High Council Ludwig wished to speak with at this time. It was they who had the ultimate authority, responsible for the entirety of the Church and its soldiers.

"Close the door."

Ludwig had barely entered the room when the High Council's voice rung out in unison. He bowed his head and shut the door, walking to the empty space before the tall marble steps that led to the thrones upon which they sat. He looked up towards them, seeing nothing but shadows from the angle of the lighting, which was specifically designed in this way so that none may look upon the faces of the High Council, then put his hands together as if in prayer, looking straight ahead as he spoke.

"Members of the High Council, I realise you are not expecting to see me so soon–"

"Irrelevant."

"You explanation is not required."

"You wished to see us, do not waste our time, soldier."

Ludwig bit his lip, calming himself before he tried again, this time more cautiously. Already that was one mistake, he was sure they would not allow another.

"I wished to request something of you, High Council, your permission."

There was a pause before another answered, it was impossible for Ludwig to tell whom was talking, but it was clearly a woman's voice, "Go on."

"High Council, I suppose you are aware of my earlier actions?"

"Indeed."

"Soldier Bonnefoy reported earlier, and I must say we expected you to do so with him." Disapproval and danger lay in the tone of address and Ludwig cursed himself internally. He was doing so badly, how could the Vatican trust him to work as a Hunter like this?

"I sincerely apologise and shall repent, but I must ask. Or rather, may I ask," Ludwig pressed his hands together harder to stop them shaking, "The vampire was not the one guilty of the murders, and since I have control over him, I wished to request that he remain by my side as an ally, High Council…" His breath left him shaking and weak as he stood silently. He waited.

It seemed like the Council were debating silently among themselves, for Ludwig could feel the atmosphere in the room changing.

"How do you intend to do this?"

"He… ah, the vampire can be a useful asset. He can go places I cannot and converse with his own kind without suspicion and – "

"So you wish to use him to gain trust and information from other Unholy Creatures, it is logical, this could prove useful. But what else is there. It must be destroyed by the Lord's will like any other."

"I… He will not cause harm to anyone, neither willingly or unwillingly, I can assure that to you. I can command him in any way, I had hoped Brother Francis would have made that clear." Desperation was leaking into his voice now, not only to prevent the vampire's death, his unjust death, but also in order to leave here alive.

"Your Brothers did indeed make that clear."

"Perhaps," another voice interjected, a male, fluid and calming, "Ludwig would appreciate a companion to travel with. We cannot afford to send our Hunters out together, he can survive on his own, and do we not owe you at least one favour in light of recent events and your work for us?" Ludwig was unclear whether the last sentence was aimed at him or the Council, so he kept silent. His breath was caught in his throat. He had been addressed using his first name, and it both terrified and thrilled him.

"You would do everything in your power to keep everyone safe, and would kill this vampire if necessary. Can I trust you to keep your word, and to uphold the Lord's commands?"

"If nothing else, I can do this! I will not fail you!" Ludwig's speech was about to break, tension causing his body to freeze on the spot before these powerful humans.

"If I can trust you, Ludwig, then we as the High Council give you permission to keep this vampire beside you as an ally. Exercise caution, and do not disappoint me."

"Th-Thank you High Council, I swear I shall not."

"We wish an audience with this vampire." It was an order.

"Of course. You shall see him within the hour." Ludwig hoped the vampire hadn't caused any trouble.

"Very well," Six voices rang out as one, "Leave here, and let the Lord's light shine on you."

"Amen." Ludwig bowed his head and wasted no time and leaving the Chamber. In the corridor, he slumped against the wall, heart pounding and letting out a relieved laugh. Somehow, Feliciano would be safe from harm. No doubt having a vampire as an ally to the Vatican would be very beneficial, and would aid his mission greatly.

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><p>Okay, this is only part one of the chapter, as it was really long otherwise ;-; this seemed the best place to break it so hopefull part two up ASAP! Please review~?<p>

Also, there is a cameo in here of another character (a non-canon character) borrowed with permission from an amazing writer :3 If you think you know who it is then please say~ (ehee, they shall be making a return later... ;D)


	3. Audience with the Beast

The journey back took little more than twenty minutes as Ludwig walked hastily, eager to return and check on the vampire. If they were quick, they could get to the Vatican and be gone before nightfall. He did not want to keep them waiting. Ludwig checked once more that he was not being followed, though those fears had been alleviated by the High Council's positive response to his request, before opening the inn door.

It was warmer inside, and the light from several lit candles now shed a warm, though slightly dim glow in the room. The few guests that he had seen sitting down here when he left had now retreated to their rooms before it began to get too cold down here.

The owner was still at her post behind the small wooden counter, and raised a hand in welcome as Ludwig approached.

"Excuse me, has he left the room at all?"

"No he hasn't, I'm afraid. I trust your business went well?" She turned her head offering Ludwig a drink which he politely declined.

"Yes, we shall be leaving shortly… though we may return later. I cannot say for sure."

"Of course."

Ludwig smiled and headed up the stairs, keen to take Feliciano to the Vatican High Council. The sooner the better.

He knocked on the door and waited for a reply, but hearing none he opened it. At first he could not understand why the door only opened a small amount, but as he managed to get his hand inside he felt that something was obstructing it. He pushed it aside, heard a crash as it fell, and stepped forward cautiously. The long mirror lay on its side, fractured. He'd pushed it up against the door? Why?

Unless it was someone else…

Ludwig withdrew his sword from its sheath on his belt looking around the room to take in his surroundings. It was messy, which was quite an understatement; the curtains hanging across the closed window were ripped, and the bed was also damaged: one of the legs was bent and cracking, the covers strewn across the floor and Ludwig at last saw the vampire crouching down in the corner. He was breathing heavily and didn't even seem to be aware of Ludwig's presence. His arm was soaked in blood and his hair was plastered across his face.

Ludwig gripped his blade tightly as the vampire jerked onto his knees, ragged breaths still sounding from within the hoarse throat. Feliciano raised his arm to his lips and bit into it madly, desperately sucking at his own blood that poured from the wounds.

Ludwig did not hesitate to step forward, practically wrenching the vampire's arm away and holding the limp body from his bloodied wrist. His right arm was littered with fresh bite marks and slashed at with the vampire's fully grown fangs. The vampire turned his gaze up to Ludwig, eyes wide and gleaming red. He growled, reaching up to scratch at him only to have his other arm trapped in Ludwig's grip. The beast bared his fully grown fangs, drenched scarlet like the trails at the corner of his mouth and dotted across his face and clothes.

He writhed in the grip, trying to pull his body up to stand on his feet to no avail, and hissed again at his captor.

Ludwig pinned him silently against the wall, holding his silver blade up to the vampire's throat. He was silenced in an instant, glaring through inhuman eyes and still panting heavily.

Ludwig knew this well, the true face of a vampire, this was what the Vatican sought to destroy, a vile, animalistic being, crazed and desperate. Yet he pitied it. Ludwig knew what had happened and felt almost sickened looking at the vampire in this state. After such an attack… the silver cross had worked perfectly and left the vampire drained, so much so that he had tried to drink his own blood in an attempt to sate his thirst. Yet if Feliciano had gone to such measure to attain blood, why had he not simply left and attacked those staying at the inn? It made no sense. At least the vampire was calm now; he would not dare move with his life being threatened like this.

"Vampire," the boy hissed at Ludwig, fangs grating. He was staring at his throat, eyes filled to brim with the desire to tear it out. A strained tear fell from them, shocking both the Hunter and the vampire. He trembled, breaths becoming more controlled though still heavy, and closed his eyes.

"Ludwig?" The voice was strained, forced through his teeth as if it took all his concentration to do so. The vampire gulped, but his throat remained dry.

"You–"

"Ludwig," his eyes were open now, staring more intently, though they were not the same as before. They were still red and hungry, yet their colour was dark, almost rich like mahogany. Feliciano's eyes flicked rapidly between Ludwig's face and throat. The expression held within them showed conflict and hurting.

"_Why did I just think about doing that to Ludwig?"_ Somehow Ludwig knew that was the exact thought going through the vampire's mind.

Ludwig took the tip of the blade away from the vampire's throat though still held the sword by his side.

"Will you stand still if I let you go?" Why wasn't he using a commanding prayer? He couldn't help it, he was curious.

The vampire nodded and was released; he fell to the floor and gripped the mattress of the bed tightly, fighting to keep control.

Ludwig looked over his shoulder. He shut the door, stepping around the mirror fragments and sheets and crouched down beside Feliciano, rolling back the sleeve of his overcoat. "You need this."

Why was he offering the vampire his blood? He must be crazy. All his instincts told him this was wrong, that the creature in front of him was vile and he needed to get away. No, if he didn't calm the creature it would attack the people, he had to do this.

The vampire turned to look at him, then down at his left arm. There was a pause before he grabbed it licking the wrist roughly before plunging his fangs into Ludwig's forearm. He gulped down the delicious liquid, feeling his limbs become stronger and his thoughts clearer almost instantly, though they still drove him to one insatiable desire.

Ludwig winced as the vampire bit him, mouth held over his arm and he could see Feliciano gulping in rapid succession. His heartbeat rang in his ears, increasing its pace and Ludwig felt a peculiar sensation start running up his arm, as if it were being stroked by icy cold fingers. Yet it was inside of his skin, and Feliciano's hands were holding his arm in place, Ludwig couldn't understand this sensation. He blinked, head becoming fuzzy. There was some sort of buzzing noise filling his ears now, his arm starting to feel heavy and he realised he was losing sensation in his fingers. It scared the Hunter to feel himself so weak.

"…stop…" His voice seemed far away, but what surprised him more is that the Italian had already stopped before he had even started to speak. He was looking at him in confusion, dropping his arm and wiped at the corner of his mouth.

"What am I…? Ludwig, what am I doing to you?" Feliciano blinked and stared at the Hunter's blood on his fingers. He looked so lost, Ludwig thought as the vampire stood up and swayed. His strength had still not returned to him, and his eyes still shone with lust: it was obvious he was nowhere near sated. He tried to clear his throat as if that would stop the burning, but ended up feeling worse, clutching it weakly and covering his skin with more sticky red. He stepped past Ludwig to the window which he had closed earlier and started fumbling with the latch. He winced as his slippery fingers were enclosed by Ludwig's hand, squeezing them painfully.

"I can't let you go outside, vampire."

"No, no. I'm weak enough now so… If I jump like this then maybe…" He was dragged back, struggling weakly to elbow the German's chest. "Let me go!" Next thing he knew he was pinned on the bed. "Ludwiiiig!"

"How do you know my name?" He barked in reply, glaring at the vampire who flinched. Feliciano said nothing, breaths becoming faster and his face more manic.

"You're no use to me dead, so drink my blood and answer my question!" Feliciano shook his head, as if offended. "Fine."

The sensible, rational part of Ludwig's brain was screaming at him as he recited the prayer and commanded the vampire to drink until healthy. Feliciano reached blindly for the German's arm, feeling along it as if blind for his earlier bite marks and began sucking gently on them to coax more blood into his dry mouth. He moaned as he felt some slip down his throat. Ludwig steadied his breath as he watched the vampire carefully. Somewhere deep within the red eyes he was sure he could see what little of Feliciano was left protesting as he continued to drink, biting his arm again for a better supply.

Ludwig's arm felt numb again, but the vampire didn't stop and was showing no sign of doing so. He continued to count under his breath to keep his mind occupied, away from the strange feeling running up his arm. He felt sick watching the creature take from him like this.

"Ah. Are you done?" The vampire looked towards him, teeth still embedded in his arm. "Answer me."

"…nearly." There was no emotion in the reply, but instead he began to drink quicker, squeezing the German's arm to force more blood into his mouth. Ludwig's arm was pale now, and he could not feel his hand.

"Th-that's enough!" His right hand flew up to the vampire's throat, pushing him away and felt the pointed teeth scrape his forearm as they were dragged out of him. Clutching his arm Ludwig felt numbly inside his overcoat, finding the glass vial. It was now full to the brim with precious Holy Water, which he poured over the bite marks with relief, the odd tingling sensation already fading. He swallowed some as a precaution, the liquid tasting oddly bittersweet.

Feliciano sat quietly on the bed, arm still covered in blood though Ludwig could see his self-inflicted wounds had stopped bleeding, and some, which he expected to be from earlier, were already beginning to heal. The vampire's ability to regenerate was well known, though it was still uncertain how these creatures could do so.

"You… didn't have to make me do that," the voice was still dry-sounding as the vampire licked his lips, frowning at Ludwig, "You saved my life. I know how to repay a debt and that wasn't it."

"You wouldn't have had to if I hadn't…" Ludwig's words trailed off, barely even spoken.

"That was me killing you Ludwig. It felt horrible."

"How do you know my name?" He stared at Feliciano, who was hugging his knees to his chest and resting his chin on the bare skin of his arm. He was looking away out of the window where the sky was becoming tinted red, eyes unfocused as if he was not concentrating.

"I heard the others say it…" That was an outright lie, Ludwig could just tell. . A vaguely believable lie, but a lie nonetheless. There wasn't so much fear that he was hiding the truth, it felt more like sadness and confusion. Why was the creature hiding the truth from him though? He was surprised that he had been able to see through him so clearly. A vampire depended on its ability to fabricate every detail of its life, to deceive, to gain trust.

Ludwig closed his eyes and sighed. They would have to move now so that they could get to the Vatican by nightfall, he would be able to ask the vampire more questions there.

He stood up and stretched his arm out in front of him, flexing his fingers. It felt a bit heavier than usual, probably because of the effort it took to hold up, but he had feeling. The bite marks throbbed slightly when touched, but other than that he was surprised at how little they hurt. He would investigate that later.

"Come on, we have to leave."

"Why?" The creature moved his gaze across to Ludwig's arm, staring at it with guilty eyes.

"I'm taking you to the Vatican–"

A look of horror crossed Feliciano's face at he shuddered, staring with wide eyes at Ludwig, full of disbelief and shock, "Wh-what? Why… I thought…" He put a hand to his face, "Oh. Heh. You lied to me, huh. Does Ludwig hate me that much now? Did I change that much?"

"What are you talking about?" Ludwig frowned in confusion at Feliciano's nonsensical babbling. He seemed both terrified of going to the Vatican, yet extremely sad. What on earth did 'change that much' mean?

"Oh…" Feliciano's face fell, "Nothing. Am I to be tried and punished then, is that it?" His eyes fell back to that look of emptiness, the ones Ludwig had seen in the Church; they were the eyes of someone who'd lost hope.

"What? Of course not!"

Feliciano blinked.

"You didn't let me finish. I'm taking you there because they want to ask you a few questions before we leave."

"Leave?" Feliciano was the one confused now, but curious, he tilted his head to one side. His eyes were shining again, and colour returned to his face.

"I'm taking you with me on my mission as an ally. You don't have a choice in that."

Contrary to what Ludwig had expected Feliciano leapt off the bed and ran to him, taking his hand firmly.

"Really? That's great Ludwig! Thank you~" He smiled so brightly it was as if he'd been made the happiest man, well, vampire, on this earth.

"Um…" Unsure of how to react Ludwig merely shrugged off the vampire's grip and cleared his throat. "All right, calm down!"

Feliciano backed away and stood still, relatively so, still smiling.

"Before we leave, we have to clear up this mess…" Ludwig shook his head from side to side. How on earth would he be able to explain this to the owner? And he did not have the money to pay for the damage. "Also, I have a few questions for you, vampire."

"You can call me Feliciano, you know."

Ludwig sighed, his patience already thin. "If you were that thirsty why didn't you just leave the inn? You looked so…" How to describe that monstrous creature Feliciano had become? He surveyed the figure before him now, completely unlike the true vampire from before. His frame was small and delicate, and he seemed a bit thin even considering his size. His face was round and the features childlike. Ludwig would have thought more about it, were it not for the fact that he was also drenched in blood and his clothes torn. He cleared his throat. "We'll have to do something about your appearance also. Do you have any other clothes with you?"

"Eh? Why would I have any other clothes Ludwig?"

"Can't you go to your home and get some? I'm sure you can't live far from here."

"… I…" It had obviously been the wrong thing to say, "I don't live here Ludwig. Not anymore. And my home was burnt to the ground, I don't live anywhere… So I'm sorry, I don't have any extra clothes."

So he lived on the streets? It was rare to see anyone homeless these days, even most vampires led a secretive human life and had a place to stay. Ludwig averted his gaze to look at his broken reflection in the mirror, feeling the tense pause between the two lengthen. Somehow he'd made the situation awkward again, and he wanted to change subject as soon as possible.

"…Okay… well answer the first question."

"…Well, you wanted me to wait here didn't you? So I couldn't leave just like that. And… I was really thirsty, and really scared. It felt really strange and horrible… So blocked the door while I still could and closed the window and made sure the curtains were open so it was light. I can't really remember the rest, but I was really, _really_ thirsty, but I was too scared to jump out of the window and I couldn't use the door so I had to wait. I managed to close the curtains at least…"

"Why couldn't you have just moved the mirror?"

"I can't touch that! It hurt just to take it down Ludwig. I had enough of the burning for one day~" He smiled as if to joke, but it was a fragile smile. Ludwig walked over to the mirror and picked it up. He examined the carved edges slowly and found thin traces of silver weaved, as if a part of the grain, into the wood. Who put silver into the frame of a mirror? And what were the chances it would be here where they were staying, he had never heard of such a thing before.

"Odd… perhaps the Lord foresaw this, hm? Why don't you wipe that blood off you quickly, otherwise it will be too late to leave."

"Don't you want to ask me any more questions Ludwig?"

"No… never mind."

...

Feliciano had finished within a few minutes, and Ludwig was waiting in the room, having tidied it to the best of his ability. Though the vampire was no longer scarlet but the clothes were still and issue. Ludwig sighed and draped his overcoat over the boy's shoulders. It was large for him, and almost looked comical. Almost endearing.

Had Ludwig really just thought that? He preoccupied himself by grabbing the vampire's hand and pulling him downstairs to the counter. The owner raised her head and smiled at the two.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, you gave me quite a scare when this fine man brought you here. Are you alright, you seem a bit pale... Would you like something to drink?" She leant over the counter to address Feliciano, who meekly shook his head, surprised at being spoken to so suddenly and kindly.

"Ah, um… about the room," Ludwig cleared his throat, "We'll be leaving now but–"

"You needn't worry about it sir, though I'd recommend covering that up somehow, I suspect it would cause you a lot of trouble otherwise." She nodded calmly at the bite marks on Ludwig's arm, strikingly obvious against his skin even in the low light. He rolled down his sleeve though it was still somewhat visible. "You'd better leave before it gets too dark outside."

Ludwig and Feliciano looked at each other quickly, both opening their mouths to say something.

"We–"

"But–"

"Oh, and don't worry about payment. I'll have to ask you to leave now, I do not wish my other guests to wake."

Ludwig bowed his head silently and gratefully, accepting her kind words before pulling Feliciano around with him and walking away. The owner waved as Feliciano turned his head back for a moment before being pulled out of the door. She was tapped on the shoulder and a few coins presented themselves on the counter with a series of little clinks.

"I appreciate this, but really I do not need it."

"No, I owe you for keeping him safe, and for not revealing the vampire, I'm sure it would be harder for him otherwise. At least think of it as payment for the damage to your room."

"Well, thank you sir. If you leave through the back you can return to your post without them knowing."

"May the Lord bless you," the man smiled and with a little bow, holding his hand over his heart, and then made his way outside as indicated.

* * *

><p>Okay so that took a while I'm sorry =_= But next chapter is in progress so I'll have that up ASAP. Lots of work at the moment...<p>

I was trying to get across a vampire's true nature, which will pop up a few more times in the near future, and Feliciano's odd kind of masochism/the way he torments himself. IDK how to explain it but hopefully it is understandable what I'm trying to get at? It should become more obvious later... hopefully ^^"  
>Also, Feliciano knew about the silver in the mirror, just in case that wasn't clear.<p>

But yes, reviews and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated! ^^


	4. Trigger

Outside the air had settled into a cold stillness, colder than earlier, and Ludwig's breath condensing in front of him rose like small clouds. Feliciano stood beside him, shivering at the exposure despite having the Hunter's coat draped over him and clinging to Ludwig's arm.

"C-Can you still find your way like this?" Feliciano looked up curiously to Ludwig.

"Hm? Of course I can. Now come on, we must leave now," Ludwig took a step forward, feeling Feliciano tug on his arm then let go as he stepped onto the paved street. When he did not hear a second pair of footsteps he turned round to see the vampire still hovering outside the door of the inn. He sighed and marched back to him.

Feliciano's head was lowered and he was shivering, and when Ludwig stood in front of him he could then see that both his eyes were squeezed shut.

"Vampire, we must go. Now come on."

Feliciano shook his head indignantly, making the sounds of refusal a child would make as if their parent had just instructed them to do something they didn't want to do.

His shoulders sagged and the blonde placed a hand to his forehead.

"What now then?" He spoke rigidly, frustrated.

Feliciano opened his eyes and looked up, then away to the small lamp burning just beside him on a small ledge beside the door.

"Vampire–"

"…rk," Feliciano mumbled something, twisting his fingers together and biting his lip. His eyes flickered towards Ludwig then away again. He was acting… shy? The Hunter stood puzzled at the creature's strange behaviour.

"Speak clearly," he leaned in so Feliciano was forced to speak to him.

"Ve… I… I'm scared of that dark, okay? I don't like it!" The vampire half-whined and half-shouted at the man, cheeks red and tears forming in his eyes as he buried himself in the German's chest.

Ludwig was sure the Lord had blessed him with good hearing, so it was hard to believe he had misheard the outcry, yet it was an irrational and nonsensical thing for a vampire to say, it was almost funny. No, in fact it was quite laughable.

Ludwig pushed the vampire away, stepped back into the street then took hold of its hand and pulled Feliciano down also. He stared at it in disbelief and quickly concealed amusement.

"…Say that again," He needed to check.

The last thing he expected was for Feliciano to whimper and start wailing like some small child, yet Ludwig was indeed presented with the crying vampire not two feet away from him. He stood completely bemused as the vampire put his arms over his eyes and cried openly, obscured mumbling about how mean Ludwig was being and that it wasn't funny leaving his mouth.

A few seconds passed and when he realised the crying was not going to stop Ludwig rolled his eyes, grabbed a fistful of the chestnut brown hair and pulled as hard as he could as he turned on his heels to start walking to the Vatican. The Italian cried out in pain and slapped Ludwig's hands, no longer hysteric but tears still flowing.

"Ah! Ah! Let go!" Ludwig did so and faced the vampire again. Feliciano was holding a hand over his mouth, face red and staring with an odd combination of emotions, conflicted and confused. The vampire seemed to speak a lot through his eyes but Ludwig simply couldn't read them. It wasn't simply his ineptitude; he thought he could see some sort of barrier in front of those eyes, some sort of burning passion or denial that was stopping him. He simply didn't know. He found it hard to interact with his peers, let alone try to uncover some silent cryptic message coming from a vampire.

Feliciano pouted as he patted his hair softly then crossed his arms and rooted himself to the spot. "I'm not going when it's this dark."

"Vampire, please. I need to get you to the Vatican. Besides, there's nothing to be scared of."

The reply was instant.

"Monsters. The dark itself."

"'The dark itself'? What that supposed to–? Look, _you _in particular have nothing to fear. Nothing is going to hurt you when it's like this. And if you're that concerned I am also here."

"Ve! That's not the point! It's still scary~!"

"It's pointless to be scared of the dark! You're being irrational!"

"Irrational? Says the one who tried to kill me with no reason earlier!" Feliciano gasped and clapped a hand to his mouth as soon as he had shouted, shocked at his own words. Ludwig had no reply. Feliciano lowered his hand with a pained expression.

"I– I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry Ludwig! Please don't leave alone again… I didn't mean it…!" He hiccoughed and started to cry again, though not loudly, not in any way to draw attention. "Y– you're right. There's nothing for a vampire to be scared of in the dark is there? Not a human, n– not another vampire…" He shuddered and stepped past Ludwig, walking in a straight line without falter or looking back.

He stopped a little way away, and Ludwig could see the silhouette shaking in the dark, shoulders shuddering as he continued to cry. Ludwig approached him silently, angry for being accused but understanding as to why. Both of them were exhausted, so they needed now to hurry.

"Hey Ludwig… I really am sorry," He felt something brush his hand gently and looked down to see Feliciano's fingertips reaching towards his, asking to intertwine themselves with his own. Feliciano's face was solemn and his eyes were sore from crying and tired. What did the vampire hope to accomplish to be comforted by him? His behaviour was erratic and somewhat unsettling. He did not wish to touch the creature either.

"Come on," He stepped away and kept walking, hearing Feliciano hurry to his side and walk behind him, footsteps sounding in unison.

Ludwig kept flicking his eyes back to the vampire, neither speaking as they hurried towards the Vatican City, its high walls within sight, the glow of the flames caged within the metal bars of lamps hanging upon the stone. The warm orange seemed unfit for the chilly atmosphere hanging between the Hunter and his quarry and cast striking shadows across their faces so Ludwig couldn't see into those mysterious eyes, only the glint of the fire reflecting off them. The rich colour of Feliciano's hair was only amplified as they stood by the gates, and Ludwig could see the guards had changed for the night which cloaked the tall city, the tallest spires disappearing into the dark sky. The new guard nodded, narrowing his hostile eyes at Feliciano as he shuffled past into the courtyard.

At the large doors of the entrance of the Vatican Palace they were presented with crossed spears aimed at Feliciano and both of them stopped dead.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ludwig demanded of the two guards, "We are expected by the High Council, you cannot–"

"We apologise sir, but we have been instructed not to let the creature pass until we are sure he is not dangerous," And with that Ludwig was pushed aside as they twisted Feliciano's arms behind his back and bound his wrists together.

"There is no need for that!" Ludwig protested the harsh treatment, and the vampire's lack of retaliation. "I assure you he will cause no harm! I told this to the High Council in person, they will hear of this."

"It is by the High Council's orders that we take this measure sir. Be glad they didn't order us to gag it."

"It's fine Ludwig, it doesn't hurt~" But Feliciano's expression told otherwise as they nudged him forward to the opening doors. Ludwig followed and both stepped into the warm and softly lit corridor, Feliciano narrowing his eyes to the brightness.

"Ah, Ludwig. And I presume this is the vampire?" Melissa greeted them both with a pleasant smile, Feliciano bowing his head as she approached and Ludwig offering her a hand over his heart which she returned. "There is no need to do that, vampire."

Feliciano raised his head again shyly and held himself upright. He was surprised that she didn't seem to use the term 'vile creature' or 'heathen', nor did she say 'vampire' as if it were a derogatory term – and he realised sadly that was how Ludwig addressed him – but merely a statement of fact, or in the place of a name she did not know: politely. He was also taken aback by her appearance, neither her build nor her accent were Italian, and she was beautiful.

"Wow… You're beautiful…" He took a moment to stare at her then cleared his throat and gave a little nervous laugh. "Eheh, I apologise…"

"Oh? Do you think so? I must say I'm quite flattered. Although, a vampire's trickery can be subtle, so am I to trust you?"

"Eh? Oh… no, I suppose not…"

"Melissa?" Ludwig frowned. This didn't seem like her.

"Hm, well it seems Ludwig was right! You are something special if you're getting that upset about it." Melissa smiled and cut away the vampire's bonds. "I don't think you'll need those, do you?"

She let out another laugh at seeing the identical looks of confusion on their faces, like fish thrown out of water. "You two really are in tune with one another it seems. He seems suited to you Ludwig."

Whilst the Hunter remained passive at the comment Feliciano did seem affected and taken back.

"Alright then, Ludwig, I have been asked to keep you here for a short time while the High Council speaks with the vampire. Alone." She beckoned the vampire forward and indicated where he needed to go where a guard stepped forward and led Feliciano up the stairs and along the first floor. He stood outside the doors anxiously for a few moments, while his heart fluttered frantically, a caged butterfly inside his chest. Just the thought of being surrounded by this many guards and about to stand before the very humans who condemned his kind shook him to his very core. He had never been so intensely afraid. He gulped again and stepped inside with his head bowed slightly. The room was lit brightly, though a harsh shadow was cast in a straight line from the tall stand where the High Council would be sitting.

It couldn't have been more than half an hour, probably not even that long, since the vampire had peered round the wooden door to the High Council's chambers and been shut inside, but to both Ludwig and Feliciano it felt so much longer. When Feliciano had been ushered out into the empty corridor he had fell back against the wall and spent a minute simply trying to calm himself once more. True, he hadn't expected the Council to be kind or merciful, but he hadn't expected their bluntness, the harsh continual bombardment of questions, so quick in succession that he hadn't the time to answer or even think properly. For most of the time he was simply standing numb whilst they repeated the same questions without even really hearing them: Do you know why you are here? Do you know why we hate your kind? Do you understand who you shall answer to? On and on, he couldn't remember half of them.

No he didn't understand some of it, though he wished they hadn't presented it in terms of understanding. He was not a naïve child, he was capable of an intelligent reply, or of asking questions if he was unsure, but it seemed that he was no more than a dumb beast in front of their crippling gaze and bitter words. Oh how he'd wanted to simply run from that horribly white place, so white and pure that he was reduced to some sort of scum and felt the need to scrub himself raw; clean. But he couldn't even cover his ears and he hated the way he could feel the presence of some horrible silver scythe hanging under his chin, the blades behind his back simply waiting to slice him open, just lurking in the shadows where he could not see and left him unable to turn to face the danger. Only when he had been instructed to leave and had ran to the door could he feel the sensation leave, and even when he had looked back for a moment he saw nothing in the shadows.

"Excuse me, I've been told to take you to your cell."

He jumped at the voice and looked up. When had this guard arrived? Had he been there the whole time, watching him with those icy blue eyes?

The guard was tall and had a strong build, much like Ludwig's, though it didn't seem like he was from Italia or Germany. His face reminded Feliciano of the harsh North, cold, impassive and unfathomable. Though he did not reveal it, the guard was surprised upon seeing the vampire.

_This small thing was what all the fuss was about?_

He flicked his head back as a silent signal for Feliciano to follow, preferring not to talk. Curiosity lingered in his mind though, and it seemed the vampire was also uncomfortable in the silence so he spoke as they walked, his accent indeed betraying his Northern heritage, but also, Feliciano was surprised to pick up, reminded him of Ludwig's.

"What's your name?" Perhaps he was getting soft. He shouldn't speak to the boy walking beside him. He found it hard to describe him as a man, though he was clearly past childhood.

"Feliciano," He stopped.

"Feliciano?" It seemed familiar. Perhaps he may have been the same as he told him about all those years ago? Or could he really be imagining it?

"Yes. Why?" Feliciano tilted his head, wondering why the guard had paused.

The guard shook his head and marched on, Feliciano instead staying where he was.

"W-What's your name?"

He was met with that icy stare and shivered, shifting his feet. "I'd like to know…?"

He thought for quite some time. What did this vampire want his name for? Why should he say anything, and why did he feel like he wanted to tell him. In that case, who should he say he was…?

"…Aloïs…" He looked away, a small smile on his lips. Yes. Aloïs was his name. He shouldn't be reminded of anything different.

"Are you like Ludwig then?" The name seemed like something native to Ludwig's country.

It always fell back to Ludwig, Aloïs thought, no-one knows of the other who he felt would be more appropriate for referral. He did not feel akin to Ludwig.

"Come here," Feliciano didn't move. "Are you afraid of me?" Aloïs walked back and held his hand out for the vampire, checking the hall was empty before he did so. Feliciano was surprised at the man's attitude. He appeared harsh, but was treating him almost like… he was human.

Feliciano hesitantly reached out his hand, fingers brushing against the ornate silver buttons on the cuff of the guard's coat. He hissed and recoiled, fingers reddening slightly.

"Ah. I apologise. I had forgotten about the silver…" He half seemed to be talking to himself as he rolled back his sleeves and held his out again, not really expecting the vampire to take it, but equally surprised that he had even offered twice, let alone once. He widened his eyes but betrayed nothing more when Feliciano took it, almost flinching as he touched his gloved hand as if expecting more pain.

"Why… does that hurt so much… silver is really pretty but I don't understand. Why does it hurt me but not you?" Feliciano wasn't speaking to anyone in particular as they started walking.

"…It seems vampires react strongly to it, as if it were poisonous. You would be better off asking that man about it–"

"You mean Ludwig?" Feliciano took his hand away from the guard's though it had barely been touching. He was confused. What did this man mean? He wanted a reply, but it was clear Aloïs wasn't going to answer.

They began to pass other guards, stationed at doors or specific points along the winding corridors, Feliciano felt that they would go underneath the Vatican City, though the air never smelt any different so he ignored it. This man wasn't going to hurt him. He hoped. Aloïs ignored stares from his fellow guards as he decided to speak up again. He was never one for speaking a lot at any one time.

"–Silver irritates a vampire's skin, much like some plants can do to us, except that reaction is intensified. It seems from we have found vampires spend most of their energy overriding the pain. The part of you that can't is what you feel…"

Feliciano felt a cold shiver shoot up and down his spine, as if cold, dead hands where stroking his back softly. Aloïs didn't look comfortable when he finished, and grimaced, regretting what he said.

"So…" Feliciano's voice was shaking in the memory of the precious metal's burn. "We don't even feel that true power? When you hurt us like that…" A tear found its way out of the corner of his eye, shocking the guard. The vampire didn't seem to notice but continued speaking. "But I was screaming…" He gulped. "Humans are scary. Really, really scary… How could you use something beautiful like that to kill us…?"

Aloïs felt the need to correct the vampire's silence. He wouldn't ever see the boy again anyway, so it didn't really matter whether he said anything.

"I don't think Ludwig would have used it against you unless he knew you could bear it. He would never have intended to kill you."

"Huh? You know him?"

The two had arrived outside a plain wooden door, steel bars across a small gap to show a bare stone room, intended as a holding cell. Aloïs opened the door with a set of keys, even they had silver laced into them to prevent theft or a vampire from escaping and pushed Feliciano inside.

"We never spoke, understand?" Feliciano could hear a rushed edge to the man's voice as he tried to peer round the bars to see where he had gone. "It could mean a lot of trouble for me otherwise, I'm sorry," Rushed footsteps echoed away before Feliciano could thank him.

"Hmm… Maybe he's not so bad… That's quite mean though, not letting Ludwig or him speak to someone like me," Feliciano smiled, a small sad smile, and looked around the cell. Chains hung from one wall and there was no window, nor any kind of furniture. Only the cold floor was provided as a surface to sit, stand or sleep. They seemed to be deep in the heart of the Vatican Palace, and possibly they were underground. Not too deep though.

Two pairs of footsteps stopped outside. The door opened to cast a soft light on Feliciano, soon replaced by a shadow that eclipsed him. Though the glow that seemed to emanate from the stranger's presence shone softly upon him; it reminded Feliciano of the Moon on a perfect night, not too clear as to outshine the stars, but cloudy enough for the magnificent orb's pearly glow to caress the tree tops. The human was incredibly beautiful, almost beyond that of a mortal beauty, though every part of him was mortal. He wore clean white robes, and a translucent veil hid his face. Feliciano couldn't stop a soft gasp leaving his mouth when the man stepped forward and lifted it.

. . . .

Ludwig was getting impatient as he stood before the Council. He had explained himself clearly already yet they seemed fit to keep him here with pointless questions. He also wondered why the one who had addressed him before was not doing so now. He could tell that every seat was filled in the High Council; none were ever left empty besides. Still, it unnerved him that they were being oddly silent. Perhaps they were conversing amongst themselves, without the need for speech or to address Ludwig. He prayed God would let the vampire live, now that the Council had seen him, that they would be merciful.

Why wasn't that man speaking to him? Surely he would be the most interested in Ludwig's position? Perhaps he cared not.

"Soldier," Ludwig snapped to attention. "We have consulted this vampire, as you are aware. And now we ask you a final time if you are prepared to ally yourself with this creature."

"I- it is not an allegiance with his kind, I assure you not! I merely thought…"

"You must proceed with caution. We pray the Lord keeps you safe, Soldier." The High Council rose from their seats, still dark silhouettes in the bright room, but their shadows now were cast upon the marble floor, still an untouchable presence. Ludwig hadn't realised it before, but he could see the outline of veils resting on their heads. All were present.

"Thank you, High Council. I swear to fulfil this duty," Ludwig bowed his head, putting his right hand across his heart.

"May God bless you."

He heard soft footsteps and the brush of silken robes as the Council began to leave and the lights around him dimmed. With a last look he walked out of their chamber. He hurried down the corridor, heading for the cells where he knew Feliciano would be held, in a room where many of his kind had been held before, waiting for judgement. He grimaced. Somehow, it didn't seem right for that small thing to be inside that cold place where many had been tortured and killed, even if Feliciano didn't realise it. The corridors grew dimmer the closer he got, and soon instead of walking on carpets his boots echoed against marble, then rock, and the air grew colder, and perhaps more earthy. This place smelt like stone and soil.

"L-Ludwig!" The blonde stopped as the small shout sounded behind him. He'd walked right past the vampire's holding cell. He saw his smiling face through the bars and the guard beside the door opened it, keys attached to a chain at his belt and wrist. Ludwig nodded to him then stepped inside, expecting the door to swing shut behind him instantly, and unsurprised when his expectations proved true.

"I came to inform you that we are to leave after dawn. You shall stay here for the night, and I must insist you stay by the wall."

"…You're going to chain me, Ludwig?" Feliciano frowned as he was ushered to the back.

Ludwig made no comment. For some reason, he was fighting the urge to apologise to this vampire. What was wrong with him? This was, as he just thought, a _vampire_. They needed no apology, nor did their kind deserve such.

Feliciano sat on the floor and let the shackles be closed about his wrists, his arms now hanging at his sides. The metal was not tight, but movement was strained and its cold bite was harsh against his skin. Luckily, these were not made of silver, but steel, which could still harm a vampire, but was not so dangerous. Ludwig's sword was also steel, with silver laid upon its sharp edges and it radiated some sort of power, like it was imbued in some way. Holy Water, perhaps?

"Ludwig, who was that man earlier?"

"What man?"

"You didn't see him when you came down? He left not ten minutes ago," Feliciano gazed up at the Hunter in curiosity. Now Ludwig was interested.

"I was released from the High Council's chambers just then. Why, who was he?"

"He was dressed all in white. I thought he was an angel for a moment, ve~ He certainly looked like it…" Feliciano quietened at the memory of such a serene face. In a way, it had been almost feminine, but it was almost certainly too handsome for a woman, and his voice too deep and robust.

"In white…" Ludwig frowned. No-one was to have spoken with the vampire.

"Ve, and he wore a veil, but he took it off. His clothes were silk and…" He was once again distracted. He realised that he'd been comparing Ludwig to this stranger this whole time, and was shocked that somewhere in his heart he found Ludwig to be the same as him. To be… "…beautiful…"

"A veil… The High Council? Wait, you _spoke_ with him?"

"Ve… um, yes?"

"And you saw his face? You actually spoke with one of the High Council face to face?" Ludwig was astounded, he could not understand why one of the Council would do such a thing? To actually speak with this creature, show them their face? It was outrageous. What could they have possibly spoken about? He would have said impossible, but clearly the impossible had happened.

"I-is something wrong, Ludwig?" Feliciano was a bit scared now. Ludwig was looking at him like… like… He wasn't really sure, but almost like he was fearful, was in awe or shock. What had Feliciano done?

"Don't speak! Please, just…" Ludwig calmed as Feliciano flinched as he shouted. They lapsed into an awkward silence. Feliciano looked round at his cell, but his gaze always fell back onto Ludwig's face. It was a strong sort of face, it looked like it belonged to some ancient hero, from myth, or from the statue of a brave warrior. Well, that was what Ludwig was: a warrior. His gaze was sharp and calculating, and his cheekbones were smoothly defined, as was his chin. His hair was not unkempt, there was not a strand out of place, and it was combed back. However…

"Ludwig… you don't seem to… you don't remember me, do you?" Feliciano cleared his throat.

"…Excuse me?" It was blunt and biting, Ludwig turned his attention to the creature as it spoke. He could barely hear him, and was certainly not going to kneel to his level. "Speak louder."

"I, um… you can't not be him, can you? I mean… you look just like him, and your name is Ludwig."

"I'm sure I already confirmed that. What are you talking about?"

"Your name… is it Ludwig Beilschmidt, by any chance?"

Now that certainly got Ludwig's attention.

Within a second his sword was drawn and swung round, poised no more than a hair's breadth away from the vampire's throat; Feliciano froze, eyes open in horror as Ludwig bared his teeth, hissing through them vehemently.

"What did you say?"

"I- I'm sorry, Ludwig, please–!"

"Answer me, vampire! What did you call me?"

"Is, is that your last name?" His voice was barely above a whisper, he dared not breathe, could not breathe, if he inhaled the blade would run him through. And oh God those eyes. Feliciano was mesmerised by them, by the hot, hot churning flame, the anger. He was thrilled, and absolutely petrified.

"How did you know my name? Answer me," He was not shouting now, but his voice could not have been more deadly. If looks could kill then Feliciano would have been thrown into Hell at that very moment. Tears welled in his eyes as the blade touched his skin. He did not know why Ludwig had angered so. But Ludwig had not used that last name in years. Not since the accident. He would not use it again.

"We've met before Ludwig. Please, please don't kill me…" He closed his eyes as the silver-tipped sword was moved away. It seemed those words had the right effect.

"I'm not going to kill you," His voice had softened now, but was still hurt and angry. "Now what did you mean 'we've met before'? I've never seen you in my life."

"What…? Oh, but… I wonder why you don't remember, Ludwig. It's definitely you, there can't be two Ludwigs who look the same…" Feliciano's voice had changed also. Ludwig could hear a new tone when he spoke of this 'other Ludwig'. It was happy, happier than he had heard the vampire. It was a gentle, sincere kind of happiness. "We used to play together, remember? In Italia…

"Your hair is the same, your eyes are the same. Your voice is the same, though you are older now so I cannot know for sure, and you act like him. You kind of… smell like he would…"

"Smell like him…?" Ludwig was disgusted. What a sick kind of thing to say. He corrected himself, remembering he was a vampire, and that smell was just a way of identifying food.

"Oh, Ludwig! Oh no, I…" Feliciano could feel the hatred pouring from Ludwig's narrowed eyes, his look of revulsion. "Please, I don't mean it like that! I just… you are exactly like he was, you are Ludwig, you can't _not_ be him! Please Ludwig, _please_, tell me you remember me."

"You're a stranger to me, vampire, and nothing more than a tool. I shall return in the morning."

Feliciano shook his head as Ludwig walked away. "No… no no no! You can't forget you can't!" He struggled to his feet. "STOP! Ludwig, please!" He lurched forward, not caring how the shackles hurt, how they cut against his wrists until the blood flowed as he strained and pulled at them, arms locking behind him. He would tear them out of his sockets if he could, tear the chains from the stone but Ludwig did not look back. "Ludwig!" It was a mix between a choked scream and a whine. He'd finally found Ludwig again after all these years, and it was his Ludwig, there was no doubt about that, and now the German was just walking away. He was leaving him all alone again.

"No... but you promised to come back…!" He sunk to his knees, feeling the quiet sobs rack his chest until his throat hurt from coughing and moaning, until his eyes were too red and sore and his arms ached and ached. And Ludwig didn't even bother to turn his head as he walked briskly to the room he'd be staying at tonight.

He stripped off his coat and boots, but nothing more, his mind was too full of wild thoughts, heart too full of feelings to care, and let himself fall upon the bed. Sleep claimed the soldier quickly, though the same could not be said for the cold vampire, still kneeling alone on the floor of his cell, forehead pressed against the rock as it throbbed from the dull ache of crying.

Ludwig dreamt of faded colours and far-away faces, things he couldn't touch. His mind was scattered and hazy, and all the time there was the smell of smoke.

"_Here Ludwig~" An unknown child blushed as he placed a crown of flowers neatly laced together on the other's, Ludwig's, head. Why couldn't Ludwig see the child's face?_

"_Ah… okay…" His face felt hot yet the feeling inside him was not unpleasant, the heat was welcomed._

"_Hey, Ludwig, do you think about the future?" He was sure he knew this voice._

The dream was broken and distorted, Ludwig couldn't tell what order things were happening in. He felt like the dream had skipped something, the boy's mouth – was it a boy? – was moving quickly but there was no sound. Then there is an echoed heartbeat. More silence.

_A woman's scream. A shadow of something monstrous. Terror. Eyes red and hair flying past the monster's face, mouth gaping and teeth, abnormally pointed glinted. Inches away from Ludwig._

_A blade ends Ludwig's fear, exterminating the creature._

"_Are you alright, young sirs?" The gentle voice of a Hunter. _

_The feeling of an adult's embrace, a worried voice by his ear. Another voice, distorted and crackled, as if by flames. Everything was foggy now._

"_Bruder… you-" A smile._

_Sunlight._

"_Hey, Feliciano, I decided in the future I want to be in the Vatican, so that I can live here in Italia with you, and I'll always protect you. I promise!"_

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><p>Uggggghh sorry that took forever. But this one is like 2000 words longer than the others (it's 10 pages of wide margin word document xD)<p>

But I have AS exams in a week for a while so the next chapter will be a while off D:

So... Feli has a bit of a moment in this one, but you can't blame him for being a tad sensitive. /he was almost killed several times in the space of a day okay/

And does anyone else detect a plot device? No?

Also. If you know who Aloïs is then I shall give you a shiny medal.

(Okay he's not mine. I borrowed him with permission~) http : / / theyaoimonster . deviantart . com / art / All-Is-Fair-Chapter -1-176557327

So I wasn't sure what to call this chapter. If anyone has a better suggestion, has found a mistake anywhere, or I would love it if you gave a review please tell me! :3


	5. Revelation

Ughhh I'm so sorry this took so long! Feel free to curse me via the internet but you now have a long 14 page chapter... (I don't think it's one of my best ones though so I apologise even more for that. There's a sort of half way point that I've marked in case you get tired of reading such a long chapter :|) If you spot any mistakes please tell me! Criticism is welcomed eagerly~

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><p>When Ludwig awoke the next morning, it took him a few moments to realise that he actually was awake. His heart thudded dully in his chest, slowing as if he had been panicked, but when his eyes cleared and he saw no threat Ludwig let his hand, which had been reaching over to grab his dagger, relax. He sat up and took note of the room: orderly and identical to any other in the Vatican. He had not walked home last night, the High Council asking (well, as close as possible as a request that was possible) that he remain close to the creature. But the room was just the same as how it had been when he had gone to sleep and nothing had changed in the slightest. Ludwig twisted his neck round, feeling it click into place soundly, and stood up. A small sink sat in the corner and so the German walked over and washed his face. The cold water was a small relief, and afterwards Ludwig felt cleansed and much more prepared to face the day. Last night had not been a pleasant one, and he had been woken from his sleep no less than three times for one reason or another. No matter, lack of sleep was something he was accustomed to, though it still bothered him, and he tried not to think too hard about it as he tried to plan what he would do today.<p>

Well, he supposed as he combed back his hair, the simplest thing would be to show the vampire the outside of the Vatican City and explain his task to him. Then they should try and gather further information on this other vampire and search Rome. Yes.

Ludwig nodded to his reflection and brushed a stray strand of wheat-coloured hair from his forehead. Rubbing his eyes as he turned away, he began folding the covers of his bed neatly and placed them in a pile at the foot of the bed, ready to be washed by one of the many workers who took residence in the palace. Stumbling over one of his boots, Ludwig then slipped both of them over his feet, and reached down to pick up his overcoat, brushing it down slightly. He caught sight of his silver dagger still sitting on the set of drawers beside the bed and was reminded, with a sense of disdain, about the vampire waiting in shackles somewhere below ground. Had it really been such a good idea to rescue it, and now to have it accompany him? Well, Ludwig was stuck with it now, he was not foolish enough to try and rid himself of the vampire, or to try and disobey the High Council's orders. Ludwig sighed. He was the one who had requested the creature's life be spared in the first place, so he was in no position to endanger it again. That didn't mean he had to enjoy the prospect of having Feliciano Vargas with him, though, he just wanted to repay the debt.

Satisfied he was alert and presentable enough to leave the room and fetch the vampire, Ludwig wasted little time in opening the door and marching swiftly down the long corridors to the cell where the vampire was being held. He hadn't eaten anything last night or this morning, but he was accustomed to that also, and could wait until later. He couldn't say the same for the vampire.

When he arrived at the cross section, the brightly lit corridor stretching out his right and left, lined with cells, he noticed first of all that there was no guard at the vampire's door. The door was ajar and the keys hung in the lock, yet Ludwig could hear someone moving inside the cell. Ludwig frowned and stepped inside.

Feliciano was standing still, other than shifting his weight from one foot to the other, fidgeting, one hand on his shoulder as he craned his head to look at the cross-shaped burn on his shoulder blade, the other hand holding a brown makeshift blanket, which looked like it was made from the same material as a sack was, around his waist. Feliciano relaxed his arm slightly and it slipped lower to settle around his hips. Ludwig's first thought was confusion that the vampire hadn't tried to escape, though he saw a chain trailing from underneath the cloth attached to the wall and figured he must be bound at the ankle, and the second thought that he wasn't wearing anything. At all.

Feliciano's eyes flicked up and caught sight of Ludwig, and he yelped and fell back to the floor, throwing the blanket over his shoulders and looking away pointedly. Ludwig stuttered and turned away, equally annoyed and embarrassed.

"Why," red faced, Ludwig cleared his throat and continued, "aren't you wearing anything?"

"Huh? Oh, Melissa, um, took away my clothes for the night. Eheh…" Feliciano's voice was smaller and less assertive than last night, but he did not sound embarrassed or uncomfortable, merely a bit taken off guard. "Does it bother you?" he sounded playful. Ludwig knew nothing about the young vampire's past, and that he felt no discomfort being naked, with an actual admiration of the human form due to his passion of sketching and painting, one given to him by his grandfather.

"Yes, actually; I'd rather see as little of you as possible," Ludwig wasn't sure what made him say it, and knew instantly that he had spoken too harshly, sounded too repulsed. He, unlike Feliciano, was simply uncomfortable, and now regretted speaking like that. Looking round to meet Feliciano's eye he could see the vampire was hurt by his words.

"It's not like I look any different from you…"

Feliciano's eyes were aimed at the floor, though he was not really looking at it, and Ludwig found himself starting to stare intently at the place where the burn would reside on Feliciano's shoulder.

"Well now, here you are Feliciano!" The two men jumped at the sound of the voice originating from behind Ludwig, and as the German whipped his head round he could see Melissa had arrived carrying the vampire's clothes in hand. "Oh my, did I startle you?" she chuckled. "I've patched them up for you, but your jacket was beyond repair, I'm afraid, so it has been replaced." She stepped into the centre of the room gracefully.

"Are you sure?" It looked a lot better well-made and long-lasting that the vampire's previous garment. "Thank you!" Feliciano stood up, leaving the blanket in a heap on the floor at which point Ludwig made an odd sort of choked sound and turned away as Feliciano walked forward to take his clothes from the Greek, still naked. Melissa simply smiled, thinking it better not to comment and once the vampire had taken his clothes she bowed her head slightly, resisting the urge to laugh at the red-faced German who was glaring at the stone wall and left the two, closing the cell door behind her.

There was a small clink as a key slid out from the clothing, the vampire realised Melissa must have put it there rather than give it to Ludwig for some reason, and Feliciano managed to unlock the shackle from around his ankle and place the key beside it without attracting Ludwig's attention.

The Hunter and the vampire were quiet, and save for the shifting of fabric as Feliciano began to dress himself, the cell was silent. Both were facing the opposite walls of the room, making the tense silence slightly more bearable, though why Ludwig didn't just leave was somewhat of a mystery even to him. No, he would just wait for a few more seconds until Feliciano was fully clothed then leave instantly.

"You know, I had a dream last night…" Feliciano's voice was informal, trying to break the tension by starting a conversation, though not hopeful that Ludwig would respond. Ludwig was silent, but Feliciano takes that as a sign to continue; at least he wasn't being flat-out rejected.

"It was a strange dream… but mainly it was scary… you…" he paused, and Ludwig wasn't sure if he would continue, but when he spoken it was with a hushed, nearly breaking voice, "_he'd_ said I'd broken my promise, though I guess I have, haven't I?"

Feliciano turned around, lips turned up in a pained smile, but Ludwig's back was turned and he was unmoved. He looked away again.

"I don't really care."

"Then what about you Ludwig? How are you?" Feliciano cuts over him, the flicker of hurt that crossed his face when he knew Ludwig would say that going unnoticed, turning his head over his shoulder to face him, pausing while putting on his shirt.

Ludwig looks round also and is put off by the sight of the still sore burn on the vampire's back. It looked as fresh as it had when he had been given it. The choice of Ludwig's wording made him wince internally; you can't 'receive' a mark like that, it is forced upon you. It looked like the slightest pressure on the cracked, poorly healing wound would cause it to start weeping. Already it was going black, as did any severe silver-derived wound, like it made the skin rot if exposed for too long. He didn't wish to stare at it, for it was just another reminder that this wasn't a human in front of him, but also, somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt uncomfortable at looking at the scar he'd inflicted.

"Did you dream?"

It had been a while since anyone had bothered to ask how he was. It felt kind of nice. Shame it was a vampire asking him; strange it was, too. He doubted it had ever crossed anyone's mind in the history of the war against these creatures that a vampire could hold a perfectly ordinary conversation, or even be caring. There were dubious rumours, yes, of families of vampires, though as yet it was hard to say whether any so called 'natural-born' vampiric children existed.

"…No…" Ludwig did recall having a dream, he'd woken up right at the verge of some sort of realisation, but having not thought about it after falling back asleep and getting up, he'd allowed himself to forget all about it. The only thing he could recall was the smell of smoke. But that was nothing new in Ludwig's dreams. "I can't remember what it was about."

"Ve, well, I hope it was something nice…"

"Why do you care?"

Feliciano flinched and resumed clothing himself without another word.

"Well…" Feliciano had finished getting dressed and now walked past Ludwig to stand in the corridor, waiting, "at least Ludwig picked up on the fact I do."

.

It is an abnormally hot day, and Ludwig could tell the chances of being able to pick up on his target's trail would be slim, and to find any vampire in this heat would be miraculous to say the least. His quarry was trailing along beside him, a step behind and looking from side to side at the stone walls of the Vatican City. Ludwig reasoned that it would do no harm to check within the city's borders before moving out into the rest of Rome, as it was perfectly possible for the vampire he was searching for to be here, or at least to find information regarding it here.

"What am I even doing for you, Ludwig?" Feliciano broke his concentration causing the German to sigh in frustration. It simply wasn't possible to quell Feliciano's curiosity, or his annoying way of just talking all the time. Couldn't Ludwig just get this done with with as little hassle and conversation as possible? If he didn't reply however, the vampire would most likely ask again persistently.

"Don't call me 'Ludwig'. And you're here to help me track down a rogue vampire, who has, for want of a better word, no less than slaughtered the people in neighbouring villages on the borders of Rome as well as in the Hispanic Kingdom. At first it was thought these incidents were unconnected considering the empty period in between but… The last report indicated he was travelling South, and so that is where we shall go." Ludwig did not want to waste time explaining any more. The vampire should understand exactly what was expected of him and what Ludwig did. He was a Hunter after all.

"Oh…"

"You don't think we'd let a hideous creature like that live do you?"

"I never said… Does that mean you're going to kill me when I've helped you? Because I'm a 'hideous creature' too?"

"I owe you my life so I will not harm you during this mission. I cannot say what will happen afterwards though. And it is not just that he is a vampire, it is because of his sins that I hunt him."

Feliciano didn't seem to hear the rest of Ludwig's sentence though. "I suppose you're right, I am a hideous creature now. So Ludwig wouldn't want to see me anyway… Like how you don't want to look at me." Ludwig narrowed his eyes at the vampire who held his gaze without speaking or wavering.

The German continued leading Feliciano around the Vatican City but shortly realised that it was pointless to be here, so headed out of the gates into Rome, which instantly looked and felt completely different. They continued the brisk pace along cobbled streets, down small alleys and into crowded marketplaces and squares. Occasionally they walked past children stamping their feet in puddles outside their houses, parents watching fondly and protectively over them. At one point, one boy ran out of one house carrying a wooden bucket and threw the cool water over another, his younger brother, who squealed happily and chased the other around in a circle and back and forth across the street with a wide, gap-toothed grin. Ludwig had paused to watch them, reminded of long ago with a small, sad smile on his face, and when he nudged Feliciano on the shoulder to get his attention so they could carry on, the two realised they held the exact same look in their eye.

They stopped by a mill a few hours later near the edge of the city, dormant under the midday sun. Feliciano sat outside against the dark wood while Ludwig spoke to the old couple inside, the woman crying softly. Their son had been one of the victims of a recent attack outside of Rome, yet it seemed there was not a lot information they could offer, nor a lot Ludwig could do to support or comfort them, except by saying that the vampire in question would be dealt with.

"The attack was some time ago, but you had no contact with your son before that point?"

"Not really," the man spoke, scratching his head while his wife sat at the table quietly, "he had left with our daughter in law, to live in Montecelio together…"

"They had only recently been married… but, we received only a few letters from him before the attack," she spoke heavily, coughing and tucking a strand of greying hair behind her ear. "This was the last letter from them." She got up and took an envelope from a shelf on the wall and handed it to Ludwig.

He scanned the page quickly, trying not to think about the fact he was reading the words of a dead man.

_May 16th _

_Dearest Mother and Father, _

_It has only been a short spring, but the flowers are still blooming nicely here. Business is going well, I am proud to say that I was taught well by Father. _

It was quite short, and spoke only a little of his daily life, but as Ludwig turned the page over to read the last few paragraphs, a few details caught his attention.

…_and Giovanni, you must remember him, sent word of his little lady. According to him they shall be wed by the end of this June if he can use those flattering words to woo her. You know what he is like. _

_Ah, and before I forget, I must mention our gloomy new friend. He is a bit odd, and perhaps a bit foul-mouthed when we are not looking, but he is enjoyable company, and has a good taste in wine! He arrived a couple of weeks ago, or maybe not even that long ago, but he fits in well. He has been helpful lately, despite his illness. He has been getting dizzy and most distracted recently, I think perhaps he has caught something from his neighbours, who have been bedridden for a few days, though I feel he shall make a speedy recovery._

_I must end this quickly I'm afraid, Felisa is growing tired after being on her feet for too long, it is a lot more effort for her now, and I should prepare a fine meal for her. I dearly wish you shall be able to come visit us in a few weeks, though I suppose the letter will have arrived to you a little before then. We both wish for you to be here to see our child. Yes, I had hoped to surprise you, we shall finally have a family. If it is a girl, she would wish to name her Adalina, in your name Mother, although I should hope for a strong little boy! Nevertheless, I pray for your health and ours, and I shall send word when the baby is born. _

_Lorenzo and Felisa_

This was sent only a few days before the attack, and arrived mid June, only a month ago. Ludwig handed back the letter silently and said a final goodbye to the couple, leaving their grief-ridden home with a heavy heart. There was one bit from the letter that stood out. The vampire had not simply reached the town and attacked, that would make it too easy to trace him if he was seen entering a town that was then drenched in blood, no, instead he integrated himself into the society. His bedridden neighbours were no doubt a means to sate his thirst until he began a massacre. Even for a vampire, such acts were horrific, unimaginable.

"Vampire, we must head back into the city centre," Ludwig did not look at Feliciano as he spoke, narrowing his eyes at the spotless azure sky.

It looked for a moment that Feliciano would say something, but the twenty year old merely picked himself up from the ground and began to follow Ludwig back down the dirt path the city once more.

The journey back was silent, but once inside the bustling streets, now even busier at midday the vampire spoke.

"So that vampire… he killed the people in that town? Their son?" Feliciano licked his dry lips, eyes trained on his feet as he walked, neck prickling and starting to burn under the heat, but he couldn't look up to meet Ludwig's gaze.

"Yes."

"He killed them all? Even his wife; he could not have spared her for their child?"

"How did you know that? You never read that letter." Ludwig halted and gripped Feliciano's elbow roughly.

"You wouldn't have looked so angry if there hadn't been a baby involved. You would care too much… And you were mouthing the words, I was watching…" There was salty water swimming in his eyes. "Who would do that… kill a baby…" He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, sniffing loudly, but still managing to keep his voice low enough not to draw attention, though he'd certainly caught Ludwig's. "Is that why you hate me? You fear what these hands may have done?" He looked at his palms, olive skin shining in the light.

"I don't hate you…" he trailed off, realising that some part of him had been determined to abhor Feliciano completely, because he was a vampire, a murderer, something that had slithered up from Hell from the smallest crack in the earth it could find. But the rest of him held truth in that statement. Of course, it was impossible to hate the vampire, he didn't know him, and such a strong emotion could not be used to describe someone you held no attachment to, but there was also no reason to hate him. He did not hate vampires… just one. But then again, there was something pitiable, almost likeable about the vampire, so Ludwig doubted he could ever hate him.

"But you don't like me do you Ludwig? You want me to go away…"

"Well… no, I… I can put up with you…" he didn't know what to say. Was he meant to answer at all? How did one react to such words in any situation? "I… I can't like you, Feliciano, if only because of who I am," _Who? Or what?_ "And I'm not going to pass judgement…" _But I have…_

"But you have! And Ludwig would never do that, never say that, so… Of course you couldn't be him…" Fresh tears dripped down his face. "He promised to come back to me, and that we would be together…!"

"Why do you talk about this Ludwig so much?" He was exasperated.

"…I loved him!" Feliciano looked stricken at Ludwig's shock, as if it had been very obvious, and now Ludwig thought about it he supposed the vampire had spoken as if he cared about this 'Ludwig'. But this was a vampire he was talking about! He couldn't understand it at all.

"You… loved?" Ludwig sounded slightly incredulous at the idea. What's more, for one man to love another… though perhaps, as this was a vampire, such a sin was unnoticeable. Ludwig didn't think the idea was possible, but at Feliciano's changing expression as he registered Ludwig's reaction, he thought for a moment that maybe it was completely possible. Though maybe just for a vampire.

Feliciano had never really been angry, so angry he could feel it hurting and wanting to break something before. Oh yes, there was one time where he had felt hopeless and angry, at a time where he could do nothing but watch someone hurt badly, but this was beyond that. That Ludwig – _his_ Ludwig – was looking at him like, full of disbelief and ridiculing his feelings, it was almost too much to bear. He was shouting before he knew it.

"What? So a vampire can't feel love can it? A privileged human emotion like love? We simply can't feel to you can we?! Or is it who I choose to love, do you disagree as the Vatican tells you to? God said to love everyone… so why can't I love one person… if you knew what it felt like, if you could _remember_ what it's like…"

_A privilege?_ Ludwig had never thought of it as such, and the vampire would dare to speak about the Lord? The pain in his voice was clear, a raw heartfelt pain which made Ludwig think Feliciano had been pining to say this for some time, not simply after they met each other. Perhaps his whole life.

"Or maybe…" He hissed spitefully, and it unnerved Ludwig to hear such bitterness in his voice. "Maybe the Almighty Father _would_ object to me, a vampire, having feelings for another man? I'm already going to Hell Ludwig, so I wouldn't have thought one more 'bad thing' would matter." With a deep breath he closed his eyes, and he spoke then with the smallest, almost broken-hearted voice, "…and did you ever think that it was a human that fell in love with Ludwig, and a vampire that continues to do so?" and when Feliciano opened them again they were as bright as ever.

"So, where to?" He smiled as if nothing was wrong. He takes another step then sways on his feet, blinking and frowning. He shook his head and walked past Ludwig, determined not to look at him. He staggers placing his feet. The vampire stopped abruptly, raising a hand to his head looking as though it was a tremendous strain before falling backwards onto the path, head smashing against the stone. Ludwig hurried to his side and placed a hand on the vampire's forehead. He couldn't decide whether he was hot or cold, the boy was shivering somewhat but also panting as if exhausted, and his eyebrows knit together in worry. Feverish?

He didn't seem to be injured though, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with his skull, Ludwig checked as he lifted Feliciano's head carefully. When he didn't respond to having his name called Ludwig lifted the vampire onto his feet to see if he could stand. He seemed somewhat conscious, but only just and managed to keep his glazed eyes open for a moment to look to Ludwig, dry mouth open, trying to speak maybe, and panting before his body sagged again and the vampire blacked out.

Ludwig looks side to side, annoyed at the few turning heads from passers by, face heating up from the attention, which was already hot from the abnormally bright sun, glaring down on Rome's rooftops. He realised with a mixture of guilt and annoyance he'd been forcing the vampire to walk under this harsh sunlight, and had been ignoring the few hesitant comments Feliciano had made about being tired before. He was annoying, but about the wrong things, strangely enough. It would be problematic for the vampire to keep passing out like this, so Ludwig would grudgingly prefer being pestered about these kinds of problems, rather than a pretty butterfly on the wall, or how fast he was walking, or about "Ludwig" again.

* * *

><p>(You can kind of think of this as the half way point… Another seven pages to go~)<p>

* * *

><p>Ludwig managed to rouse Feliciano in a shadowed, cobbled street, quiet and quaint. Feliciano said nothing, and when he tried to get up, which took long enough, he fell back down onto his knees, though whether that was from exhaustion or dizziness from his earlier fall Ludwig couldn't tell. They sat quietly for some time, waiting for the evening to take over the spotless sky and dye it lilac and pink and orange. Ludwig grew tired of waiting beside the Italian however, he was patient, yes, but to sit next to someone for hours and not speak, especially considering what words had last been spoken, was quite awkward. He left the vampire sitting against an empty stretch of wall to ask around the neighbourhood for any information concerning the vampire he was ordered to hunt, but finding nothing. Of course he expected little from this area of Rome, they needed to circle the city entirely to get a good lead, preferably focussing their attention nearer the South, possibly outside the city. These first few days were just to get Feliciano 'into the swing of it'. He supposed that was a good enough term for it.<p>

When he returned, and it was thankfully beginning to grow darker, the vampire hadn't moved. Not that he could have mind you; Ludwig had ordered him not to. When he bent down to Feliciano, since he wasn't making an attempt to get up, he saw a bruise on his face, possibly a bit swollen.

"You're hurt." He didn't want to ask a question – that would make it seem like he cared – but no, he was just curious. But deep down he did care that the vampire was injured, and that puzzled him.

"Oh. Someone was shouting at me for being lazy or something. He thought I was homeless, I think. Well, I am but that's not the point, and so he was telling me to move and then he kicked me. I don't think people here like strays hanging around, ve… I could have gotten up and fought back, but I sat still, because I didn't want to hurt him."

"So you're pacifistic?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm, but Feliciano shook his head as if he hadn't caught onto it, thinking Ludwig was sincere.

"I… I _could_ fight if I wanted to. But no, I didn't want to hurt him. If I pushed him over too hard I could hurt him… and if he cut himself then I would get thirsty. I assumed Ludwig didn't want me to have anything to drink, and that you didn't order me not to because you thought I wouldn't. If I could get you to trust me Ludwig, then maybe we could be friends." Feliciano smiled, quite innocently.

"You and I can't be friends Feliciano, even if I wanted to be…" Did he want to be? What an odd thought. Ludwig wasn't sure if it was good or bad, but the statement was true. Humans and Vampires couldn't form a positive relationship; they were enemies. That would make it even worse. Besides, even if Feliciano were human, he seemed like the last type of person Ludwig could ever be friends with. Everything about him so far had been an annoyance. He wondered if he could get even more irritating, and Ludwig prayed not.

"Well, it would be nice if Ludwig changed his mind," he got shakily to his feet.

He managed to get Feliciano to walk a bit farther, but it soon became apparent that the boy was dead on his feet, and only forcing himself to walk each step at a time, and not long after Ludwig took note of this he began to falter again and was unconscious. Ludwig resigned himself to carrying him, looking quickly for some sort of shelter so both could rest easy.

He found a relatively quiet place to stay the night, a small open house which was already quite crowded full of people. It was abnormal to find such a place nowadays, but the city was still growing, and it was unrealistic to think everyone had a place to stay or a home to go back to. Houses were still being constructed, and if people were moving into Rome faster than they were being built it would lead to this kind of situation.

"We'll shelter a traveller for the night, and the Vatican are most welcome here, if you'll pardon the mess," the young lady with soft blonde hair and delicate green eyes, and she seemed only to be in her mid teens, which unsettled Ludwig since she really shouldn't be alone in such a place, who had welcomed them inside had said, but no-one here seemed to know each other, and there was a wide mix of young and old, travellers or just the poor. A dark, black-haired girl who sat quietly in the corner caught his eye, and held it with a look of fear and distrust for a moment before placing her head on her knees hugged to her chest, and began to survey the floor with a bored expression once more. Ludwig said nothing. He could not prove his suspicions without evidence, and as of yet, the girl was doing no harm. Dark, red tinted eyes, a bored impatience with an edge of reclusiveness and refusal to touch the food being passed round were not on their own the definite signs of a vampire, but Ludwig knew from experience that she was one almost certainly.

He found a small space at the edge of the next room, which was not as crowded but all eyes were trained upon him as he sat down, still holding Feliciano. He could not lay the vampire out on the floor, nor prop him against the wall, so he resigned to letting the slumbering creature rest against his chest, head sitting in the crook of his neck. His right arm lay across Feliciano while his left at his side. He remembered being held like this once, but not by whom. Possibly his brother. It actually felt comforting to have the warm body lying across him, it had been years since he'd had this kind of contact with anyone, but of course he would never admit it. Sending a glare around the room, he waited until heads had turned away and the others taking refuge here began to fall asleep before he let his guard down. A benefit of having a vampire was that hopefully if there was a danger he would sense it and wake first, though it was possible that Feliciano could be more of a danger himself. Ludwig took back the statement instantly when he thought of that afternoon. If Feliciano wasn't willing to stop someone hurting him, then he had no will to fight either. He'd probably sleep through an attack. Ludwig would wake quickly anyway if he sensed something wring, so he stretched out his arms, placed them back, and dimly noted that Feliciano seemed to have moved to settle more comfortably across Ludwig, and was relaxed in his embrace. He was tired though, and made no attempt to move him. He would scold him tomorrow. With that thought Ludwig was asleep.

.

He woke to a tumult of noise as everyone seemed to be stirring and moving towards the exit.

"I'm sorry sir, we've had to ask everyone to leave…" The blonde girl from earlier was smiling apologetically, her bell-like voice sounding a bit worried.

"Why, what's wrong?" Ludwig blinked, letting his eyes adjusting to the light and realising it was probably early in the morning. Whether it was earlier or later than the time he would usually rise he couldn't tell. He certainly felt tired, so maybe it was earlier.

"It seems we've had some trouble with one of our guests…"

"Lili! Is everyone out yet?" A strict voice sounded from the room next door, one that sounded like the voice of authority,

Ludwig wiped his eyes and shook the Italian still curled up on his chest.

"Feliciano. Vampire, wake up." The girl had walked out of the room thankfully, so she did not hear. "Vampire…"

Feliciano groaned weakly, screwing his eyes shut tightly before flopping over onto Ludwig's legs.

"Don't want to wake up…" the tired mumble was punctuated with a yawn at the end, and the vampire shifted as if to curl up like a cat on Ludwig's legs before Ludwig jerked his knee up and pushed the vampire onto the floor. He gave an indignant groan and opened his eyes. Ludwig gave him a long look that said clearly 'I'm not impressed' and got to his feet. Feliciano pouted and stuck his tongue out when Ludwig's back was turned before sighing woefully and stumbling onto his feet, eyes barely open. "'m tiiired. Can I go back to sleep Ludwig?" He slumped against Ludwig's back.

"There's been some trouble so just stop acting silly and follow behind me!" Ludwig snapped and marched out of the room. He entered the scene in the next one with a curious, quickly calculating mind to try and establish the situation. The girl from last night, the vampire, was sitting cross legged on the floor fiddling with one of her long ponytails, and was pouting at the man standing over her in a way that was reminiscent of Feliciano.

"I'll ask you again why you're here, and then I'll have to ask you with something less pleasant than my voice," the man growled, casually reaching behind his back to retrieve a crossbow that was kept there, and loading it with a silver-tipped bolt. So she was a vampire that was for sure. Ludwig heard Feliciano gasp softly behind him when he saw the weapon.

"Don't worry, no-one here knows about you…" Ludwig murmured under his breath, seeing Feliciano nod fearfully out of the corner of his eye to show that he had heard.

"I have little time for games miss, so I'll ask you to be quick about it, I don't like to spend time on something like this…" he sounded impatient, and was frowning with disapproval at the vampire. The girl, Lili, was standing in the corner with a look of concern for all parties.

"I was just looking for a place to stay, since everything else was booked up. If you have a problem with me getting some shut eye I suggest you ask your girlfriend about her preferences on who she lets in." She sounded cheery, but annoyed, and slightly out of it like she didn't really care much for the danger she was in.

"If you're going to speak about my sister like that perhaps you'd like to lose an eye, or maybe a front tooth? I don't want to waste time damaging your pretty face Miss Vampire."

"Vash…" Lili sounded defensive and her cheeks were reddening slightly.

"Huh, I guess you do look alike. My mistake then," she shrugged and resumed combing her fingers through her hair.

"Perhaps a dagger to your throat then? Answer the question."

"I wanted a place to sleep."

"Why don't we take a moment to calm down."

"Can you not use that please? She's done nothing wrong…"

Vash, the vampire, Ludwig and Feliciano spoke out at the same time, silence settling after Feliciano had stepped forward to speak.

Feliciano stood on tiptoes to whisper to Ludwig.

"She's not hurt anyone Ludwig… I would have smelt it otherwise." Vash looked over at him with suspicion.

"Well then perhaps you'd like to come join your friend here?" Vash nodded over to the vampire, still eyeing the crossbow aimed at her throat curiously.

"Never met him," she stated.

"If you're a vampire too then that just means more fun and paperwork for me. Why not pretend you can't see anything. If not, please don't say you sympathise or I'll have to take you in as well."

"Unfortunately, he is with me," Ludwig put an arm out protectively across Feliciano.

"I noticed… well since we have the Vatican here perhaps you'd like to deal with this? I have other places to be. If we don't stop a vampire, then no matter what they will end up hurting someone. I'm not taking chances." Vash slung the crossbow over his back and into the leather holder once more. He beckoned to Lili who stepped up to him and led her outside, an arm around her waist, and starting ordering the crowd outside to disband and move elsewhere.

Ludwig looked over the vampire, now under his authority. She was healthier looking than Feliciano, and didn't seem native to Italia, but as Feliciano had said there was no evidence that she had committed a crime.

"When was the last time you fed?"

"Few days ago. Fresh fish wasn't doing it for me anymore after the trip so I stole a chicken instead, in case you were thinking I'd just gone on a mad rampage or something." She clicked her tongue. "I guess they weren't kidding when they said this city is crawling with you guys. I don't like getting involved in your affairs, so don't ask me anything else stupid."

"Then if you haven't done anything, why are you here?" Ludwig narrowed his eyes. She rolled hers.

"Friend of a friend owns a farm, or at least used to, in France. Couldn't get a boat straight there because of complications so this was the closest. Eyebrows said that if I asked I could get a job there if it was still around, and free food, so that's my life plan. Good thing I could never cook anyway." She smiled as she thought about her old 'brother figure' and how there wasn't going to be much hope for her as a wife if she cooked to the same ability as he did.

Ludwig surveyed her critically before pulling her to her feet. She looked a bit disapproving of being handled like some reluctant child but let it be, not idiotic enough to start a fight with another Hunter who was taller, broader and generally looked more irate than the previous.

"You can leave then, but if I hear of any trouble along the route towards France you'll be the first suspect on mine, and the Vatican's list, understand?"

"Fine. Just don't expect me to gag every other vampire I see… Ta then."

"Byebye~" Feliciano waved as she walked out the door, blowing a little kiss in her direction.

Ludwig tutted and dragged Feliciano outside, expecting the other Hunter to be leaning on the wall outside, and was not disappointed.

"You let her go then. Fine, it's your authority so I'll let you do what you want. Lili, do you mind heading into the markets and getting a few things? I should be back from the palace soon enough." He handed her a few coins and patted her head, careful not to crease the bow above her right ear.

"Sister?"

"She's adopted really. Lost her parents young so she doesn't remember much but I lived nearby and took her in. She only came down here for a while because she knew I'd have to as well. We'll be heading back up to Switzerland in a few days."

Swiss? That explained the subtle blend of German and French accent. "So are you part of the Vatican?"

"No, I'm separate. I've been working in Austrio-Hungary recently though, and since it is disputed territory for who has authority there, I have to report here as well, which is a pain as it means more work for me."

"What work are you doing there?"

"Hm. I'm not sure you have the authority to know." The man raised an eyebrow, still carrying that stern yet neutral expression on his face. "Frankly, I'm starting to wonder what they think the Vatican is playing at. Controlling both sides of the war at once, and now they're sending you out in pairs to kill each other?" Ludwig wasn't sure what the man meant by that, but he didn't like the way in which he was addressing the Vatican.

"We're fighting a war. What are you doing then?"

"You may think this is some grand battlefield, but really this is all politics and secrets. Pretty soon I'm sure you'll see that. Your people have the wrong approach I think. You're never going to get rid of those creatures," he finished off with a nod to Feliciano. "We've established a system actually. It's well known that we have a larger-than-normal open vampire population, so in actual fact we're not at war with them."

"You're not fighting them? But then how do your people survive?"

"Simple enough. We separate the populations. We've established a treaty with them, so they are welcome to live in the land so long as they do not harm the human citizens. We have a donor system. Of course, there are strict repercussions to anyone who breaks the laws set down as part of the treaty, on either side."

Ludwig was astounded at the idea. It was so foreign and unthinkable that they could live peacefully together. "Either side?"

"If someone refuses to give blood, then they can be penalised. Every eligible citizen is required to cooperate. Because of the delegations with Austrio-Hungary to set up a similar system so that we can expand our efforts and resources, many vampires have been travelling to Switzerland. Of course sometimes they don't get very far with you border patrol cutting down everything they see."

"Wow, so you're proving that we can live together normally!" Feliciano spoke up, smiling at the man, who otherwise was quite scary.

"It's not that difficult since each side understands the mutual benefit. Vampires understand their position, so in general they make a good labour work force because of their stamina, and they make good long distance traders or bodyguards. I think it's much more preferable than getting involved in some endless conflict. We have no intentions of aiding or abetting either side in a war, we shall have none of it. I start getting worried it'll end up at our doorstep though with all of these refugees arriving so eagerly when they here about us…" he trailed off and shrugged his shoulders.

"I need to get going to see your High Council. I've heard there's a bit of tension going on in there recently, so I'm sure this will be anything but fun." He sighed, a bit bored more than anything else and extended a hand to Ludwig. "Well good luck to whatever it is you're doing."

"And you." Ludwig took his hand and shook firmly. Feliciano waved as Vash left down the street towards the Vatican City.

As the Swiss man faded out of view Ludwig turned to Feliciano who was stretching his limbs out as far as he could, standing on tip toes and arching his back until he heard the bones pop and click into place.

"Well, at least that was enough excitement to wake you up. We have to start another round of the city centre. I think it'll do you some good to get used to walking around. I may have to visit the Vatican City also… We should be able to make a decent start on leaving Rome entirely soon…" the rogue had passed by the capital, yes, but as of yet he had only been attacking stray villages, not even those on the outskirts of major cities. Rome itself extended far beyond the edges of the crammed housing. Several external communities were still technically a part of the city, and they were a day or two of straight walking on foot to reach the farthest. The mill they had travelled to earlier merely sat outside a ring of the central housing district. Rome lay beyond that, too, and Ludwig wasn't sure the vampire understood this.

"Eh~? Who said anything about getting up now? Can't I go back to sleep?" Feliciano moaned. Ludwig could tell this was going to be a long day.

As the hours passed as they carefully spiralled out towards the edge of the inner circle of Rome to pick up any leads, instead of back to the Vatican City, which although was large made up only a fraction of the surrounding Rome, and it made their journey tiring. Walking in a large circle for en entire day turned out not only to be disorientating but very time consuming and not entirely an efficient use of Ludwig's time. Still, he had to be thorough. There was no point jumping on the first hints he found and heading as far South as possible when he didn't even know where the vampire would strike next. If he could get word on any new visitor in a neighbouring town then he'd have a definite starting point.

Feliciano seemed to have forgotten about his behaviour yesterday afternoon, and though was being relatively quiet and attentive, was still annoying. He sometimes complained about aching feet and they had to sit down, and Ludwig marvelled out how he could possibly survive as a vampire if he wasn't being spoon fed. Almost certainly, he was young in terms if his 'vampire life span'. All in all though, the day passed uneventfully, Feliciano rarely speaking but still managing to irritate Ludwig when he did.

They had reached a small farming district as night began to fall, a jumble of agricultural land, irrigation being put to use and wide fields of grass or wheat. Ludwig did not wish to impose on any of the local farmers, so instead asked for permission to sleep outside one of their houses, and was of course accepted. The Vatican's Cross emblazoned on his overcoat did have other uses than just decoration. They were granted refuge in a small barn, if they needed it, and Ludwig thanked them courteously before leading Feliciano away to settle down.

"Night Ludwig…" Feliciano wriggled closer to Ludwig and let his head fall onto the hay covered ground as he lay on his side. Ludwig nodded in response and waited for a few minutes until the vampire was asleep to move onto the other side of him, taking off his overcoat. After a few minutes of peaceful silence Ludwig still couldn't sleep. Something was bothering him, and he didn't know what. He decided to walk around outside for a minute, as he thought much better while he was moving, and he hoped the night air would relax him. He began silently stepping around the barn, looking up to the night sky and admiring the stars twinkling softly. He became wary of the clouds building in the sky not far away and hoping it wouldn't rain when it suddenly struck him what the vampire had been mouthing earlier: _I'm sorry_. He was outside the open door when he realised this, and looked inside the gloomy open space to see the faint outline of the vampire on the bales. Letting his eyesight adjust he was just about able to make his way to where they were sleeping with the hints of moonlight trickling in through gaps in the roof. It was well-made though, so if it rained they shouldn't get wet, Ludwig thought. The vampire was shivering, but was not awake despite how he seemed to be reacting to the cold. Ludwig didn't feel cold, and he wondered if it was because the vampire looked little more than a skeleton, that he couldn't block out even the smallest of chills. The fact he was asleep suggested he'd learnt to put up with it though.

Fetching his overcoat he draped it over the vampire, who flinched in his sleep, then settled down again, and he could hear his name mumbled softly from Feliciano's direction. He couldn't tell if it sounded happy or sad and with a twinge of regret Ludwig wished he hadn't been that harsh on the vampire. He cleared his head with another walk outside and when he came back in felt a lot more tired, so lay down away from the vampire and closed his eyes. He opened them and looked in the vampire's direction, and he thought he could see those round eyes glinting, watching him. He frowned, unsettled, and closed his eyes again, whispering softly before he drifted off.

"…Apology accepted."

Feliciano smiled and let himself fall asleep again.

* * *

><p>WELL. THAT ONLY TOOK LIKE 6 MONTHS. *shoots self*<p>

**By the way, I reaaaaaallly would like a beta reader. If anyone is interested please message me!** I would ask that anyone who's interested be willing to put up with me, and offer a lot of constrictive criticism, thank you :)

*cough that girl vampire totally wasn't Seychelles okay yes it was cough* And I didn't even realise it until I was editing but Lorenzo and Felisa… Ludwig and Feliciano… I'm sorry =_= And yes, Feliciano does enjoy having these mental breakdowns every two seconds. I just think it would be awfully difficult for him to have Ludwig simply walk (back) into his life and treat him with such indifference, so of course he would be angry and hurt. It's not fun being a vampire.

This is totally how Feli is feeling right now by the way www . youtube watch?v= irebRU5t80A


	6. A New Beginning (Update)

**UPDATE:**

After three long years... guess who's back!

I apologise for the abrupt and indefinite hiatus, I really did mean to at least upload something to pass the time or to make it clear how I was feeling about this but... Life happens. And I grew tired of this fic because I was stuck for inspiration and because I am lazy and bad at motivating myself it just sort of stopped, but you all know that.

But now for a (hopefully) exciting update:

**I am going to completely rewrite this fanfiction.** All 70,000+ words of it. And yes, I really did write that much and I didn't upload it _and it wasn't even finished_.

Basically, I was talking to a friend about her idea to write an epic fantasy hetalia fic - like seriously epic guys, we're talking LOTR style trilogy it will be freaking amazing - and it really stirred up my nostalgia for this fic. It's the longest and most comprehensive thing I've written after all. And so I was really inspired to rewrite it and was struck with inspiration to redo the first chapter. So I have done. Again. I kind of rewrote the first chapter a while back but Ludwig was way too dark and bitter so I changed tack once more with this one, which I think ha s nicer balance.

Now, though I am proud of Hunter, rereading it puts me on edge because I dislike how I have characterised several people, especially Feliciano. In the rewrite I will be changing the setting slightly, namely characterisation, but I will also be changing the cast a bit. This means I will be introducing and getting rid of some characters. The AU will be the same, as will the time period and general run of events from start to end, but since first writing this I have changed some of my headcanons and I have also, I think, improved in my writing. I want to make this something _I_ can like and be proud of. If anyone _really_ wanted, I could send them little snippets of what the old fic was written like, what I had planned or whatever... but I kind of want to forget I ever wrote some of that stuff lol.

**I am not going to make any promises for when I will upload the new fic.** I plan to get a majority of the start done at least before I start this, because the reason Hunter fell into hiatus was because I had a gap, several chapters' worth, that I was unable to write to connect the beginning to the next stage of events. And that sucks, because the ending was down and several other key events had been planned and mostly written, hence the 70k+.

But I wanted to let you know of the plan.

Now, I will not delete this fic, because it has a tiny tiny following and I think it is a good reference to what I will change, and if anyone doesn't like the new fic then I want them to at least have this if they want to reread it. I've not come up with a name for the rewrite but it will probably be a pun on "Hunter" so... yeah.

**I will upload the rewrite in several locations: **on this website, on deviantart, and on my tumblr blog. Because I am on tumblr more often, updates here may be erratic, and I may simply forget this site exists, so if you want to be sure to see the new chapters when I upload them I would recommend following me on tumblr if you have an account, or or dA. **If anyone would like a link to my fic blog, or to my main tumblr blog, then please send me a message!** Otherwise I'll be sure to put a note up on here when I release the first chapter.

Once again I apologise for how sudden the hiatus was, but I hope that you readers are as stoked as I am for this rewrite! I love you all, and thank you so much for all of your kind words!

So without further ado here is a sneak preview of the new first chapter of Hunter v.2! Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Ludwig forced himself to breathe, which was never a very pleasant experience. It should be natural to him by now, but his breath still comes quick and shallow and brings with it no relief. Still scared. He re-sheathes and unsheathes his sword once more, careful not to let the blade catch the light nor the metal to sing. It was standard issue, blessed steel gilded with silver at the edges, but Ludwig did so admire the sound of it. He holds the hilt steady in his hand and peers around the corner again.<p>

A couple stood against a wall making very little sound, indiscreet at this time of day no matter the location, but a poor pretence. The young man combs through his partner's hair, long and silken, and pushes it away as he takes a step backward. Ludwig grit his teeth. The vampire eased the woman to the ground carefully, holding a hand against her throat while another rifled through a small drawstring pouch at his belt.

"I'm sorry, Sabine," he muttered. "I had to lie."

Ludwig edged himself forwards while the creature was distracted. The woman was "charmed", no doubt, from her limpid expression, but that was the least of Ludwig's concerns. He'd been trying to chase this vampire for days now, and was sick and tired of the hassle. He couldn't afford to lose focus now.

The vampire was pressing a damp linen dressing against his bite marks and staring quite intently at the mess he'd made, frowning. Her blood still dripped down his chin and swung as little droplets on his yet to recede incisors with each exhale, and Ludwig was sorely tempted to simply cut him down that very moment. He was almost close enough. The vampire wasn't very perceptive, clearly. Ludwig shifted his stance and exhaled slowly. The vampire had leant in to lick at the bite marks, no longer bleeding, and hissed at the taste. He wiped his mouth on the bloodied rags which Ludwig assumed were his clothes and hopped onto his feet effortlessly. And then it froze.

Ludwig bit his tongue and made to lunge because the vampire had tensed, and Ludwig realised just too late that the glint of his weapon in the brilliant setting sun had given him away. He missed flesh, both human and vampire alike and his silver blade grated irritably against the brick wall of the alley.

"Careful," the voice said, shifting from one ear to the next, "you'll hurt her!" It was a playful yet genuinely shocked voice.

Ludwig growled and span, swinging his sword in an arc over his shoulder, and the vampire yelped. Ludwig stopped, dizzy and chest heaving facing the creature, the vampire standing still and shaking also, clutching at their shoulder. At least he'd done some damage. The vampire's eyes widened.

"You're Vatican!" He made to move his arm then winced. "Ah… please. Just let me leave as is, Sir. I haven't hurt Sabine." He flashed a nervous grin. Ludwig saw the hand at his shoulder curl. If Ludwig didn't act quickly then he'd heal himself: such a scratch wouldn't even matter to a newly-fed vampire, no matter the silver.

Ludwig surveyed the vampire. The form of a young male not past their teens, tan skin and dark hair, last seen entering the capital. This vampire was dangerous.

"L-listen. I don't want trouble. Please just let me go. Please. I don't want you to hurt me, and I don't want to fight…" The vampire stuttered and raised his hand slowly. Foolish. Ludwig lunged and the vampire hissed as he leapt backwards, skidding on the balls of his feet as he landed. His eyes narrowed into a glare briefly and flashed red at Ludwig.

"Don't resist," Ludwig said, and the vampire twitched.

"Please?" The vampire said. Ludwig held aloft his blade. It felt dull and heavy, clunky, not and extension of him, and he blinked away the discomfort of this sensation. Curse his shaking arm! The vampire sighed and began to sprint, faster than Ludwig would have thought, and he cursed as he followed suit.

[[TBC...]]

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><p>So there it is! I hope you enjoyed it. As I said before, I cannot say when I'll get this out since I'm so busy with my uni work, but I really do want to finish this through to the end so fingers crossed! I'll upload the first chapter here in full when everything's done, both as a chapter to this fic and a fic on its own that way you can find it easily.<p>

Please let me know what you think, if you want to beta or if you want a link to my tumblrs. I have a lot more hetalia and princess tutu fic up on there, and I also take requests! If you can't message me for whatever reason then let me know in the comments and I'll try and get back to you or something.

Till next time!


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